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Understanding dead space in giraffes, and its application to critically ill COVID-19 patients

Giraffes have long been a subject of study for scientists due to the physiological anomaly their anatomical design can present. The study of the species helps aid in understanding of clinically relevant processes. The long trachea of a giraffe presents the dilemma of exaggerated dead space; however, this physiological problem is surmounted by a narrow trachea when compared to mammals of similar size, thus decreasing potential dead space. As COVID-19 patients in the hospital and ICU can develop COVID-19 associated

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Dead Space and Tidal Volume of The Giraffe Compared With Some Other Mammals

The ventilation, tidal volume and anatomical dead-space were measured in a living giraffe and compared with similar in a camel, red deer, llama and man. The giraffe had a resting tidal volume of about 3.3 litres with a dead-space/tidal volume ration of 0.34. The giraffe breathes lowly, apparently because of the unusually small diameter of it’s trachea relative to its length, compared with known measurements in other mammals.

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Respiration and metabolism in the giraffe

Measurements have been made on respiration of three resting unstressed adult giraffe under normal conditions. Tracheal dimensions and body dimensions have also been measured in a large number of giraffe and other mammals. The results indicate that contrary to statements in the literature the giraffe does not have an abnormally large dead space, though the trachea is abnormally long and narrow. The respiratory measurements indicate that the giraffe breathes as predicted by published scaling equations, and at rest shows no

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