Figure 6-23 Influence of 0.1 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of five volatile anesthetic agents on the ventilatory response to a step decrease in end-tidal oxygen concentration. Values are given as the mean ± SD. Subanesthetic concentrations of the volatile anesthetics, except desflurane, profoundly depress the response to hypoxia. (Adapted from Sarton E, Dahan A, Teppema L, et al: Acute pain and central nervous system arousal do not restore impaired hypoxic ventilatory response during sevoflurane sedation. Anesthesiology 85:295, 1996.)