The British Journal of Psychiatry 130: 459-462 (1977)
© 1977 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
The effect of mild hyperventilation on red cell sodium
JD Mora, MK Patel and FA Jenner
Control subjects voluntarily overbreathed to produce end-tidal PCO2 levels
similar to those found in patients suffering from neurotic or endogenous
non-retarded depression. Red cell sodium content was found to decrease
during overbreathing in all the subjects. The changes were similar to those
usually reported for depressed patients. The results imply that red cell
sodium levels are in part dependent on respiratory behaviour. They suggest
a need for considerable caution in interpreting red cell sodium values from
psychiatric patients.