To improve the accuracy of acid-base adjustment in mechanically ventilated patients we derived the formula: known arterial Pcoz x known minute ventilation Required minute ventilationdesired arterial Pco2 which allows calculation of the minute ventilation required to produce a desired arterial Pco2 by measuring the patient's existing arterial Pco2 and minute ventilation. This was tested in fifty patients using four types of ventilators and found to be statistically accurate, with a mean difference between predicted and observed Pcoz of 0.153 kPa (1.15 tort) __+ S.E.M. 0.798.

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