The effects of acute hypoxia and hypercapnia on pulmonary mechanics in normal subjects and patients with chronic pulmonary disease.

The influence of progressive hypoxia and hypercapnia on respiratory mechanics was evaluated in 26 subjects (six normal subjects, seven asthmatic subjects, seven patients with IPD, and six patients with COPD). During separate rebreathing runs of progressive isocapnic hypoxia and normoxic hypercapnia, breath-to-breath changes in RL and Cdyn were determined. In five of the six normal subjects, seven of the seven asthmatic subjects, and six of the seven subjects with IPD, RL decreased with both progressive hypoxia and hypercapnia without a change in Cdyn. In the patients with COPD, the effects of hypoxia and hypercapnia on RL and Cdyn were variable. Compared to normal subjects, the changes in RL during hypoxia and hypercapnia were not significantly different in the asthmatic subjects and the patients with IPD. These data provide evidence that acute progressive hypoxia and hypercapnia are associated with significant changes in Raw in both normal subjects and patients with chronic pulmonary disease.