A COMPARISON OF THE RESPIRATORY WORK DONE AGAINST AN EXTERNAL RESISTANCE BY MAN AND BY A SINE-WAVE PUMP

¹ Department of Medicine, University of Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, 15

The rate of external work done against the resistance of a respiratory circuit was measured from pressure-volume diagrams. Eight subjects breathed through the circuit at many levels of exertion. At any given minute volume the rates of external respiratory work were similar for all subjects. The circuit was also ventilated by a sine-wave pump at corresponding minute volumes. The rate of work done by the pump at all minute volumes corresponding to exercising men was also similar. It was, therefore, concluded that in estimations of the rate of respiratory work on exercise, it is justifiable to assume that the human respiratory wave behaves as a sine wave.

Note:

I am deeply indebted to Dr. (now Professor) K. W. Donald under whose direction the work was carried out. I am very grateful to Messrs. A. C. Pincock and R. J. Mills and to Dr. J. M. Langland for their help with the experimental work and the apparatus, and to Mr. S. Bloor and the men of the Mine Rescue Service of the N.C.B. who acted as subjects. The paper is based on work done during the tenure of a National Coal Board Research Fellowship in 1954-56.