Dead Space and The Ventilated Patient
The depth and frequency of our breathing is determined by chemoreceptors and the brainstem, as modified by a number of subjective sensations. When ventilated, the patient breathes at a rate and tidal volume that is dictated by the machine. Because of dead space, taking deep breaths more slowly (e.g. ten 500 ml breaths per minute) is more effective than taking shallow breaths quickly (e.g. twenty 250 ml breaths per minute). Although the amount of gas per minute is the same (5 L/min), a large proportion of the shallow breaths is dead space, and does not allow oxygen to get into the blood.
Read more about this topic: Dead Space (physiology)
Famous quotes containing the words dead, space and/or patient:
“Lord Tyrawley and I have been dead these two years, but we don’t choose to have it known.”
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)
“I would have broke mine eye-strings, cracked them, but
To look upon him, till the diminution
Of space had pointed him sharp as my needle;
Nay, followed him till he had melted from
The smallness of a gnat to air, and then
Have turned mine eye and wept.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Here the crow starves, here the patient stag
Breeds for the rifle.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)