Ventilatory effects of laparoscopy under general anaesthesia.

We have studied 14 female patients undergoing elective laparoscopy under general anaesthesia with peritoneal insufflation of carbon dioxide in order to examine changes in physiological deadspace (VDphys), arterial to end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure difference (PaCO2-PE' CO2) and PaCO2. VCO2 increased after insufflation of carbon dioxide with a mean (SD) maximum increase of 32 (28)% compared with the preinsufflation value. PaCO2 increased also, with a mean (SD) maximum increase of 0.6 (0.58) kPa immediately before carbon dioxide deflation. VDphys and (PaCO2-PE' CO2) increased during laparoscopy, but this was not significant (P greater than 0.05).