A Java software for calculating mean breath-by-breath variability in gas exchange parameters: application in young cardiac patients with exercise-related periodic breathing.

Oscillatory changes in parameters of gas exchange have been reported during rest and exercise in cardiac patients with severely depressed left ventricular function. As a result of the growing interest in this oscillatory phenomenon, several methods for assessment of this ventilatory response have been presented in cardiovascular research. Nowadays, objective measurement becomes more important. Therefore, the software reported in this study is based on calculating the mean breath-by-breath variability in respiratory variables and has the advantage that patients can be compared to normal controls. This Java-based software is available for public download under: http://www.perswww.kuleuven.ac.be/Steven_Vangesselen