Abstract
Although inspiratory illness is an important cause of morbidity in young children (aged 2-6years), very little data on the functional growth of lung exists for this age group. We have adapted the weight ed spirometer technique for measuring total compliance (CRS) in such children. Seated children breathed through a face mask attached to a spirometer. After establishing a constant end - expiratory level, weights were intermittently added and then removed from the spirometer bell while recording the relevant changes in pressure and volume. Compliance was obtained by dividing the change in volume by the change in applied pressure.
Functional residual capacity (FRC) was also measured using the helium dilution technique. The techniques were well tolerated in both sick and healthy children. Satisfactory results being obtained in 58 of 63 children tested. Duplicate estimates of both PRO and CRS were obtained in less than 10 minutes in each child. Both techniques were shown to be highly reproducible, the mean difference in the 2 FRC measurements was 0.01 litres (range −0.02 to +0.07) and for CRS was 3.3 mls/cmH2O (range −7.0 to +10.0). Amongst healthy children significant correlations were found both between CRS and length (log10 CRS = length ×0.0099 + 0.6154) and CRS and FRC (CRS = FRC × 1.01 - 59.8). This enabled the effects of diseases such as cystic fibrosis and BPD, which resulted in significant reductions in CRS and FRC, to be distinguished from those of growth.
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Greenough, A., Stocks, J. & Helms, P. ASSESSMENT OF COMPLIANCE AND LUNG VOLUME IN YOUNG CHILDREN - PRACTICAL? ACCURATE? USEFUL?. Pediatr Res 19, 1094 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198510000-00150
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198510000-00150