Ventilatory response to CO2re-breathing before and after Nocturnal Nasal Intermittent Positive Pressure Ventilation in patients with chronic alveolar hypoventilation

Abstract Long-term nocturnal nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) has beneficial effects on daytime P a CO 2 in patients with chronic alveolar hypoventilation. Our aim was to investigate if these beneficial effects are related to improved respiratory drive as measured by ventilatory response to CO 2. In 17 hypoventilated patients (mean age 62 years) we obtained daytime arterial blood gases, nocturnal transcutaneous oxygen saturation, nocturnal transcutaneous P aCO 2, ventilatory response to CO 2 re-breathing, spirometry and indices of respiratory muscle strength before and after 9 months of NIPPV. Patients served as their own controls. After 9 months of NIPPV day-time P a CO 2 decreased from 7·1 kPa to 6·3 kPa, ( P P a O 2 increased from 8·1 kPa to 9·3 kPa, ( P P a CO 2 and in nocturnal transcutaneous oxygen saturation were significantly correlated to the changes in several variables derived from the ventilatory response to CO 2 re-breathing. In patients with substantial improvement in daytime P a CO 2 we found significant improvements in ventilatory response to CO 2 re-breathing. The present study confirms the beneficial effect of long-term NIPPV on daytime arterial blood gases. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the improvement of daytime P a CO 2 is related to improved respiratory drive observed after NIPPV.