Adaptation of anesthetized men to breathing through an inspiratory resistor

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Abstract
Normal men anesthetized with methoxyflurane rebreathed CO2 under 2 conditions. In one case, they breathed most of the time through a low-resistance circuit and an inspiratory resistor of 40.4 cmH2O/l .cntdot. s-1 was applied at intervals. In another case, they breathed most of the time through the resistor and were allowed occasional free breaths. There were no differences between the 2 types of runs in tidal volume, respiratory frequency, duration of inspiration of loaded or unloaded breaths or in amplitude or shape of occlusion pressure waves. The reaction of conscious men to an inspiratory resistive load, consisting of a compensatory augmentation of neural drive to respiratory muscles that does not depend on a chemical stimulus, is apparently absent in anesthetized men.