Hypercarbia and Hypocarbia

Hyperventilation activates excitable seizure foci, and in rare cases, it may produce electroencephalographic evidence of cerebral ischemia even in awake subjects.^[54] Hypoventilation, unless severe and associated with hypoxemia, has only indirect effects resulting from increased CBF. In the anesthetized patient, hypoventilation-associated increases in CBF may have effects similar to those seen with increasing end-tidal tension of volatile anesthetics.^[55]