Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 70, Issue 3 988-993, Copyright © 1991 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Coordination of swallowing and respiration in unconscious subjects

T. Nishino and K. Hiraga
Department of Anesthesiology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

We investigated the coordination of swallowing and breathing in 11 unconscious patients with an endotracheal tube in place during the recovery period from general anesthesia. Swallows occurred during both the inspiratory and expiratory phases with no preponderant occurrence during either phase. When a swallow occurred during inspiration, the inspiration was interrupted immediately and was followed by expiration, but the durations of both inspiration and expiration were progressively increased as the time from the onset of inspiration to the onset of swallowing was progressively delayed. A swallow coinciding with the expiratory phase progressively prolonged the duration of the expiration that had been interrupted as the timing of swallowing was progressively delayed. Repeated swallows invariably and in a predictable manner caused changes in the breathing pattern. Thus when the frequency of regularly repeated swallows was relatively high, the breathing pattern was characterized by regular, shallow, and rapid breaths. When the frequency of regularly repeated swallows was relatively low, the breathing pattern was characterized by regular, deep, and slow breaths. When the frequency of repeated swallows was irregular, the breathing patterns were characterized by inconsistent changes in tidal volume and respiratory frequency. Our results indicate that, in unconscious subjects, some mechanisms integrating respiration and swallowing are operative and responsible for changes in breathing patterns during swallowing.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. Gysin, T. R. Kaminski, C. J. Hass, C. E. Grobet, and A. M. Gordon Effects of Gait Variations on Grip Force Coordination During Object Transport J Neurophysiol, November 1, 2008; 100(5): 2477 - 2485. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Matsuo, K. M. Hiiemae, M. Gonzalez-Fernandez, and J. B. Palmer Respiration during feeding on solid food: alterations in breathing during mastication, pharyngeal bolus aggregation, and swallowing J Appl Physiol, March 1, 2008; 104(3): 674 - 681. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Terzi, D. Orlikowski, P. Aegerter, M. Lejaille, M. Ruquet, G. Zalcman, C. Fermanian, J.-C. Raphael, and F. Lofaso Breathing-Swallowing Interaction in Neuromuscular Patients: A Physiological Evaluation Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., February 1, 2007; 175(3): 269 - 276. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R Dziewas, M Ritter, M Schilling, C Konrad, S Oelenberg, D G Nabavi, F Stogbauer, E B Ringelstein, and P Ludemann Pneumonia in acute stroke patients fed by nasogastric tube J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, June 1, 2004; 75(6): 852 - 856. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. R. Feroah, H. V. Forster, C. G. Fuentes, I. M. Lang, D. Beste, P. Martino, L. Pan, and T. Rice Effects of spontaneous swallows on breathing in awake goats J Appl Physiol, May 1, 2002; 92(5): 1923 - 1935. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]