Peripheral chemoreceptor insensitivity in chronic severe anaemia.
Ventilatory response to central and peripheral chemoreceptor stimulation by carbon dioxide was assessed in 15 severely and chronically anaemic subjects before and after the correction of anaemia. Whereas the central CO2 responsiveness was found to be normal in the anaemic state, the peripheral response to CO2 was remarkably depressed. This blunted peripheral response to CO2 was restored to normal with the correction of anaemia.