lung function tests Research Papers (original) (raw)

Objective: Both healthy preterm infants and those with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) have poor lung function during childhood and adolescence, although there is no evidence whether prematurity alone explains the reduction in lung function found in BPD infants. Our study seeks to know if lung function, measured in infancy by means of rapid thoracic compression with raised volume technique, is different between preterm infants with and without BPD. Methods: Lung function was measured in 43 preterm infants with BPD and in 32 preterm infants without BPD at a chronological age range of 2-28 months. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at 0.5 sec, and forced expiratory flows at 50, 75, 85%, and 25-75% of FVC were obtained from maximal expiratory volume curves by means of rapid thoracic compression with raised volume technique. Maximal flow at functional residual capacity was measured using rapid thoracic compression at tidal volume. Multiple regression analysis and generalized least squares (GLS) random-effects regression model were used to control for variables such as gender, weeks of gestation, age, birth weight, and tobacco smoke exposure. A sub-analysis was performed in infants born at 28þ weeks of gestation. Results: BPD was associated to significantly lower flows (regression coefficients: À0.51, À0.54, À57, À0.53, and À0.82, respectively for FEF 50 , FEF 75 , FEF 85 , FEF 25-75). This association was driven by males and maintained in the subgroup of infants born at 28þ weeks of gestation. Conclusion: BPD is associated with an additional decrease of lung function during the first 2 years of life in infants born preterm. Pediatr Pulmonol.

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- Birth Weight, Infant, Pediatric, Lung

An increasing number of children with chronic disease require a complete medical examination to be able to practice physical activity. Particularly children with solitary functioning kidney (SFK) need an accurate functional evaluation to perform sports activities safely. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of regular physical activity on the cardiorespiratory function of children with solitary functioning kidney. Twenty-nine patients with congenital SFK, mean age 13.9 ± 5.0 years, and 36 controls (C), mean age 13.8 ± 3.7 years, underwent a cardiorespiratory assessment with spirometry and maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing. All subjects were divided in two groups: sedentary (S) and trained (T) patients, by means of a standardized questionnaire about their weekly physical activity. We found that mean values of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and exercise time (ET) were higher in T subjects than in S subjects. Particularly SFK-T presented mean values of VO2max ...

- by Giovanna Castro
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- Anthropometry, Physical Activity, Adolescent, Medicine

Study Objectives-The purpose of this study was to determine if asthma with and without rhinitis represent distinct forms of disease. Design-A prospective cross-sectional study. Participants-Healthy controls, participants with asthma without rhinitis, and participants with both asthma and rhinitis Interventions-We compared lung function and airway inflammation between the three groups of participants. Results-We recruited 32 participants: 12 normals, 8 asthmatics without, and 12 with rhinitis. Compared to asthmatics with rhinitis, asthmatics without rhinitis had more severe airflow limitation (FEV 1 /FVC 60.6 [IQR 22.8] versus 74.8 % [IQR 7.8] and fewer induced sputum eosinophils (2.8 [IQR 5.8] and 9.6 [IQR 23.8], respectively). Sputum interleukin 6 correlated inversely with lung function measured by post-bronchodilator FEV 1 in the study cohort (Spearman correlation coefficient −0.55, p<0.01). Conclusions-Asthmatics without rhinitis tend to have lower lung function and less eosinophilic inflammation in the lung. This study suggests that asthmatics without rhinitis represent a distinct phenotype of asthma in which low lung function is dissociated from eosinophilic cellular inflammation.

- by Charles Irvin
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- Inflammation, Asthma, Lung Function, Nitric oxide

Study objectives: To investigate the long-term outcome of lung function in survivors of severe ARDS after modern treatment strategies including lung protective mechanical ventilation and prone positioning maneuvers. Design: Follow-up cohort study. Setting: University hospital pulmonary division and level 1 trauma center. Patients: Sixteen survivors of severe ARDS (from 1992 to 1994) with a lung injury score > 2.5. Measurements: The follow-up study (from 1995 to 1996) included interview, physical examination, chest radiographs, static and dynamic lung volumes, diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO), blood gas analysis, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Results: The mean ؎ SD interval between hospital discharge and functional assessment was 29.5 ؎ 8.7 months (range, 15.0 to 40.7 months). In approximately one half of the patients, mild abnormalities in static and dynamic lung volumes were found. In 25% (4 of 16 patients), lung function was obstructive; in 25% (4 of 16 patients), lung function was restrictive; and in 6.3% (1 of 16 patients), a combined obstructive-restrictive pattern was revealed. DLCO was impaired in 12.5% (2 of 16 patients); gas exchange during exercise was impaired in 45.5% (5 of 11 patients). Conclusions: Residual obstructive and restrictive defects as well as impaired pulmonary gas exchange remain common after severe ARDS. CPET is a very sensitive measure to evaluate residual impairment of lung function after ARDS. Using CPET, reduced pulmonary gas exchange can be detected in many patients with normal DLCO.

- by Reto Stocker
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- Treatment Outcome, Pathophysiology, Survivors, Exploration