The effects of breath-holds and Muller manoeuvres on upper airway carbon dioxide concentration in humans.

摘要

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnoea is caused by collapse of the upper airway. The presence of CO(2) in the upper airway lumen evokes a number of reflexes which favour upper airway re-opening, and we have proposed previously that CO(2) would build up in the upper airway following airway collapse and that this would contribute to reflex airway re-opening. However, it is not known if CO(2) can transfer from the alveoli to the anatomical dead space of the upper airway during apnoea. OBJECTIVES: To determine if alveolar CO(2) can enter the upper airway during breath-holds and Muller manoeuvres. MATERIAL AND METHODS: With local ethics committee approval, 6 male volunteers (aged 22-48 years), following a quiet inspiration, carried out breath-holds and Muller manoeuvres until breaking point. CO(2) was measured continuously in samples obtained from the hypopharynx using an infrared analyser with a sample rate of 50 ml/min. Muller manoeuvres (forced inspirations against a closed upper airway) mimic the respiratory efforts which occur during obstructive apnoeas. RESULTS: In all cases, CO(2) increased progressively during apnoeas. There was a much larger increase in Muller manoeuvres (3.78 +/- 0.51%, mean +/- SEM at breaking point) compared to breath-holds. DISCUSSION: These results show that upper airway CO(2) concentration rises substantially during apnoeas and suggest that transfer of CO(2) from the lungs to the upper airway may evoke a number of reflex effects which could affect breathing and upper airway re-opening during obstructive apnoeas.