Pulmonary ventilation, CO2 response and inspiratory drive in spontaneously breathing young infants during halothane anaesthesia.

Pulmonary ventilation, CO2 response and inspiratory drive were studied during halothane anaesthesia prior to surgery in 13 spontaneously breathing infants less than 6 months of age. Pneumotachography and capnography were used. Airway and oesophageal pressures were measured and occlusion tests were performed at functional residual capacity. Measurements were made before and during 8 min of 4% CO2 stimulation. Inspiratory drive increased significantly (P less than 0.001) at CO2 stimulation. This resulted in increased minute ventilation (P less than 0.001) and tidal volume (P less than 0.001) while respiratory rate was unchanged. As VBohrD/VT ratios were the same, the net effect was increased alveolar ventilation (P less than 0.001). CO2 elimination was unpredictable in these young infants and decreased during CO2 stimulation (P less than 0.05), while mean end-tidal CO2 concentration only increased from 5.2 to 6.3% (P less than 0.001). The ventilatory response to 4% CO2 could therefore be deemed to be adequate during the short period (8 min) of CO2 breathing. However, this was achieved at the cost of increased work as witnessed by the increased ratio between minute ventilation and CO2 elimination (P less than 0.01). Stabilisation of end-tidal CO2 concentrations during CO2 inhalation took only 10 s while the maximal increase in ventilation volumes was not achieved until after 150 s. It is concluded that young spontaneously breathing infants anaesthetized with halothane (MAC 1.3) have an increased respiratory drive with greater tidal volumes during CO2 stimulations. Respiratory timing, dynamic compliance and total pulmonary resistance were, however, uninfluenced by 4% CO2 stimulation. Increased monitoring of CO2 output in anaesthetized infants is suggested.