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Specific airway resistance in children: Panting or tidal breathing?
Author(s) -
Coutier Laurianne,
Varechova Silvia,
Demoulin Bruno,
Bonabel Claude,
RomanAmat Clotilde,
Tuan Thanh Le,
Ioan Iulia,
Schweitzer Cyril,
Marchal François
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
pediatric pulmonology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.866
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1099-0496
pISSN - 8755-6863
DOI - 10.1002/ppul.22829
Subject(s) - medicine , airway resistance , airway , breathing , tidal volume , respiratory physiology , intensive care medicine , anesthesia , respiratory system
Summary Background The measurement of specific airway resistance during tidal breathing (sRaw tb ) has gained popularity in children, but methodological concerns have been raised regarding the electronic compensation for the thermal artifact. The panting method (sRaw p ) is efficient in minimizing the latter, but may be associated with a change in end expiratory lung volume if the effort is not properly balanced. The aim of the study was to compare sRaw tb with sRaw p in children. Methods Fifty‐five children aged 6.5–11.5 years were studied. sRaw tb was measured in a commercial plethysmograph. sRaw p was measured with a home made equipment that allowed breath by breath analysis (sRaw p1 ) as well as with the commercial body box (sRaw p2 ). Results sRaw tb was significantly larger than either sRaw p1 or sRaw p2 ( P < 0.0001). The mean (95% CI) difference sRaw p1 − sRaw tb was −0.374 (−0.835 to 0.088) kPa s. The difference between sRaw p1 and sRaw p2 was significant ( P < 0.005) but not clinically relevant, and mean (95% CI) difference sRaw p1 − sRaw p2 was 0.115 (−0.094 to 0.324) kPa s. The breath by breath analysis showed small but significant increase in sRaw p1 throughout the maneuver ( P < 0.001), whatever the pattern of end expiratory level. Conclusion Tidal breathing is associated with an overestimation of sRaw compared with panting in children. Although the latter results in small increase throughout the panting maneuver, sRaw p is probably more trustful than sRaw tb . Pediatr Pulmonol. 2014; 49:245–251. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.