Pattern of ventilation in young adults

198. 1g64.-The ventilatory pattern at rest was examined in 28 healthy human volunteers by recording pneumograph tracings for a I-hr period. The mean respiratory frequency was Ig/min in females, 16/min in males, but with considera-ble variation both within and among subjects. The mean in-spiratory phase accounted for one-third of the respiratory cycle, but this fraction increased with increasing respiratory fre-quency and decreased when the frequency slowed. Tidal vol-umes varied greatly, and sighing (breaths larger than three times the average tidal volume) occurred at an average rate of ro/hr for females, g/hr for males. The possible physiologic role of periodic deep breaths, or sighs, in providing reinfla-tion of atelectatic areas is discussed. respiratory cycle at rest respiratory frequency and tidal volumes periodic deep breaths (sighing) inspirator