Influence of the respiratory flow pattern on rebreathing in Mapleson A and D circuits

In a lung model the rebreathing effects of different respiratory flow patterns (RFP) were studied in the coaxial Mapleson A (Lack) and D (Bain, Coax-II) systems during spontaneous breathing. In the Mapleson A system RFP was not found to have any impact. In the D systems FACO2 was higher with an RFP typical of halothane-anaesthetized patients than with an RFP with an exponentially decreasing expiratory flow and an end-expiratory flow pause (FTEP). The difference in FACO2 was 26% with a VF corresponding to 100 ml X min-1 X kg-1 body weight. The RFP in a non-anaesthetized volunteer was intermediate between these two patterns. Rebreathing decreased in the D systems with prolongation of FTEP and when a decelerating expiratory flow was used.