Paula has a ventilatory dysfunction

Paula has a ventilatory dysfunction. It is not visible and she feels fine and she is fit and healthy. BUT Paula is at risk for heart failure, neurological problems, neuropsychiatric problems due to being close to having hypercapnia.

Kraepelin also found abnormal respiratory rates in thousands of his manic depressive patients. https://archive.org/details/manicdepressivei00kraeuoft, 1921Topics Psychiatry — Early works to 1900, Manic-depressive illness, ParanoiaPublisher Edinburgh : LivingstoneCollection gerstein; toronto; medicalheritagelibrary; university_of_torontoDigitizing sponsor MSNContributor Gerstein – University of TorontoLanguage English

Paula found out accidentally at a basic first aid class 20+ years ago.

Paula has a respiratory rate at rest when awake of 3 breaths per minute. Her tidal volume is a normal .5 L.   Her minute ventilation [which no one evaluates] is 1.5 L per minute.

Do you know what this means? It means that you Doc’s do not know anything about nervous system plasticity.  That is what it means.

Just because you do not get a pile of money to measure respiratory rate and tidal volume and minute ventilation does not mean that you shouldn’t.

I think that this is important and may explain delirium [chronic-reversible- with respiratory support] and dementia.

I have had to teach myself respiratory physiology and the literature is just beginning to catch up with what I already know.

One does not need a neurological intensivist to understand that this is the weak point of any human. Ventilation is a mechanical act. It can break. It seems that the system adjusts until it needs supportive medical help.

All family doctors and nurses should learn basic first aid and count respirations at rest to find respiratory defects to which the body has adapted but which may cause hypercapnic invisible respiratory failure in an emergency, like infection or heart failure, or stroke.

Respiratory hypercapnia failure WILL cause great nonspecific ANGUISH and depression and mental confusion.

We can fix that!

Please educate others.