The Importance of Absolutes in Critical Care

The brain senses and protects oxygenation by a surrogate mechanisms. There are peripheral chemo receptors that detect partial pressure function. The brain will act on those and at a certain, a low PAO2, you will have an increase in the respiratory dry. In scenarios where other things are affected, for example, whether pH is ridiculously high or ridiculously low, that in itself would be a much stronger stimulus to the respiratory drive than the oxygenation would be. Scott: What question should I have asked you about all of this that I've been remiss in not asking?