Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology · Jul 1, 2023

Respiratory rate responses to both hypercapnia and acidaemia are modified by age in patients with acidosis

By Crooks CJ, West J, Morling JR et al.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the associations between arterial pO₂, pCO₂ and pH and how these are modified by age. METHODS: An analysis of 2598 patients admitted with a diagnosis of Covid-19 infection to a large UK teaching hospital. RESULTS: There were inverse associations for arterial pO₂, pCO₂ and pH with respiratory rate. The effects of pCO₂ and pH on respiratory rate were modified by age; older patients had higher respiratory rates at higher pCO₂ (p = 0.004) and lower pH (p = 0.007) values. CONCLUSIONS: This suggests that ageing is associated with complex changes in the physiological feedback loops that control respiratory rate. As well as having clinical relevance, this may also impact on the use of respiratory rate in early warning scores across the age range.

doi.org/10.1016/j.resp.2023.104098 Open access PubMed 37399900 Mechanisms