Effect of tidal volume on gas exchange during rescue ventilation.

Tidal volume V required for mouth-to-mouth (MTM) and bag-valve-mask (BVM) rescue ventilation remains debatable owing to differences in physiology and end-point objectives. Analysis of gas transport may clarify minimum necessary V and its determinants. Alveolar and arterial O and CO responses to MTM and air BVM ventilation for V between 0.

Breath-Hold Diving.

Breath-hold diving is practiced by recreational divers, seafood divers, military divers, and competitive athletes. It involves highly integrated physiology and extreme responses. This article reviews human breath-hold diving physiology beginning with an historical overview followed by a summary of foundational research and a survey of some contemporary issues.

Fast or Slow Rescue Ventilations: A Predictive Model of Gastric Inflation.

Background: Rescue ventilations are given during respiratory and cardiac arrest. Tidal volume must assure oxygen delivery; however, excessive pressure applied to an unprotected airway can cause gastric inflation, regurgitation, and pulmonary aspiration. The optimal technique provides mouth pressure and breath duration that minimize gastric inflation.

Flying with a pneumothorax: a model of altitude limitations due to gas expansion.

Background: Pneumothorax(PTX) is considered an absolute contraindication to flying. Guidelines for recovery time are arbitrary and fail to acknowledge that some passengers with PTX have flown without incident. One concern is pleural air expansion, causing extrinsic lung compression, increased intrathoracic pressure, and the subsequent risk of tension pneumothorax.