Composition of Alveolar Air During Breath Holding With and Without Prior Inhalation of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Alveolar air was sampled at intervals during breath holding begun after a normal expiration or after inhalation of 2 1 of air or a high CO2 mixture. During the first 20 seconds the rate of O2 consumption is assumed to be constant and the alveolar CO2 tension is found to approach the oxygenated venous CO2 tension in a logarithmic manner under all the conditions tested (high or low CO2.) From the slope of the logarithmic curve it is deduced that the storage capacity of the lung tissue for CO2 has a significant effect on the shape of the curve and the storage capacity is estimated as 0.45 cc of CO2/kg of lung/mm rise in CO2 tension. The graphical analysis of the breath holding curves is the most significant new contribution in this paper.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: