THE EFFECT OF CONTINUOUS NEGATIVE PRESSURE BREATHING ON WATER AND ELECTROLYTE EXCRETION BY THE HUMAN KIDNEY

Abstract

It was demonstrated that man and anesthetized animals have an increased urine flow in response to short periods (45 min.) of continuous negative pressure breathing. (-15 to -18 cm. H2O). Observations on the renal excretion of water, Na and K, urinary pH and endogenous creatinine clearance during negative pressure breathing in 16 human expts. showed that the exptl. conditions only the excretion of H2O was significantly increased. The mechanism for the water diuresis was not fully understood but it was postulated that the diuresis was initiated by distension of the great veins within the thorax, the right heart and pulmonary vascular system, and left auricle in which receptor areas were identified. This region may be sensitive to blood vol. changes and account for the water diuresis associated with exposure to cold, infusion of saline, and infusion of iso-oncotic albumin soln. in recumbent subjects.