9-38: Disorders of Control of Ventilation

The principal influences on ventilatory control are arterial PCO₂, pH, PO₂, and brainstem tissue pH. These variables are monitored by peripheral and central chemoreceptors. Under normal conditions, the ventilatory control system maintains arterial pH and PCO₂ within narrow limits; arterial PO₂ is more loosely controlled.

Abnormal control of ventilation can be seen with a variety of conditions ranging from rare disorders, such as primary alveolar hypoventilation, neuromuscular disorders, myxedema, starvation, and carotid body resection to more common disorders, such as asthma, COPD, obesity, heart failure, and sleep-related breathing disorders. A few of these disorders will be discussed in this section.