ABSTRACT
Alveolar ventilation ( ) is the part of MV that takes part in gas exchange, defined as
As a result, the average adult’s MV of 6 L/min (500 ml tidal volume, 12 breaths/min) results in actual alveolar ventilation of 4.2 L/min. Rapid but shallow breathing produces much less alveolar ventilation than does slow, deep breathing at the same total MV volume because of the disproportionate effect of anatomical dead space at low tidal volume.
