Cardiopulmonary effects of continuous pressure breathing in hypothermic dogs

¹ Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina

Continuous pressure breathing was studied in hypothermic anesthetized dogs. Alveolar ventilation decreased during continuous positive-pressure breathing and increased during continuous negative-pressure breathing. The changes in alveolar ventilation were due to changes in respiratory rate as well as in respiratory dead space. Cardiac output fell significantly during continuous positive-pressure breathing due to a reduction in heart rate and stroke volume. During continuous negative-pressure breathing cardiac output was only slightly greater than during control as a result of a fall in heart rate and an increase in stroke volume. Oxygen consumption was reduced to 60% of control during continuous positive-pressure breathing of 16 cm H₂O but was 25% greater than control during continuous negative-pressure breathing. Qualitatively, CO₂ production changed as did O₂ consumption but was different quantitatively during continuous negative-pressure breathing indicating hyperventilation due to increased respiratory rate. Mean pulmonary artery pressures and pulmonary resistance varied directly with the applied intratracheal pressure. The results indicate that the hypothermic animal can tolerate an imposed stress such as continuous pressure breathing and can increase its oxygen consumption during continuous negative-pressure breathing as does the normothermic animal.

Submitted on December 8, 1964