title: Role of Respiratory Drive in Hyperoxia-Induced Hypercapnia in Ready-to-Wean Subjects With COPD.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hyperoxia-induced hypercapnia in subjects with COPD is mainly explained by alterations in the ventilation/perfusion ratio. However, it is unclear why respiratory drive does not prevent CO2 retention. Some authors have highlighted the importance of respiratory drive in CO2 increases during hyperoxia. The aim of the study was to examine the effects of hyperoxia on respiratory drive in subjects with COPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen intubated, ready-to-wean subjects with COPD were studied during normoxia and hyperoxia. A CO2 response test was then performed with the rebreathing method to measure the hypercapnic drive response, defined as the ratio of change in airway-occlusion pressure 0.1 s after the start of inspiratory flow (ΔP(0.1)) to change in P(aCO2) (ΔP(aCO2)), and the hypercapnic ventilatory response, defined as the ratio of change in minute volume (ΔV̇(E)) to ΔP(aCO2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hyperoxia produced a significant increase in P(aCO2) (55 ± 9 vs 58 ± 10 mm Hg, P = .02) and a decrease in pH (7.41 ± 0.05 vs 7.38 ± 0.05, P = .01) compared with normoxia, with a non-significant decrease in V̇(E) (9.9 ± 2.9 vs 9.1 ± 2.3 L/min, P = .16) and no changes in P(0.1) (2.85 ± 1.40 vs 2.82 ± 1.16 cm H2O, P = .97) The correlation between hyperoxia-induced changes in V̇(E) and P(aCO2) was r(2) = 0.38 (P = .02). Median ΔP(0.1)/ΔP(aCO2) and ΔV̇(E)/ΔP(aCO2) did not show significant differences between normoxia and hyperoxia: 0.22 (0.12-0.49) cm H2O/mm Hg versus 0.25 (0.14-0.34) cm H2O/mm Hg (P = .30) and 0.37 (0.12-0.54) L/min/mm Hg versus 0.35 (0.12-0.96) L/min/mm Hg (P = .20), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In ready-to-wean subjects with COPD exacerbations, hyperoxia is followed by an increase in P(aCO2), but it does not significantly modify the respiratory drive or the ventilatory response to hypercapnia.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Son Llàtzer, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rialp
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. joan.raurich@ssib.es.
authors.forename: Joan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Raurich
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Llompart-Pou
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ayestarán
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D018496:Hyperoxia / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology*; D015300:Ventilator Weaning / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide
keywords: COPD; P0.1; artificial respiration; hypercapnia/physiopathology; hyperoxia; reproducibility; respiratory center