Abstract
We evaluated nine CF infants, mean age 18 months (5.5-28), during pulmonary exacerbation (PE) and again at follow-up (FU), mean 3.4 months (1-6) post PE. During sleep, we measured 1) respiratory rate (RR), 2) function residual capacity (FRC) by helium dilution, 3) mixing index (MI) and 4) size corrected flows at FRC (VmaxFRC/FRC). Clinical scores (CS), 0-25 (healthy), were based upon cough, cyanosis retractions, breath sounds, and clubbing. During PE, 5 infants required hospitalization (H) and 4 were outpatients (OP). The H group had significantly lower (P<.03) VmaxFRC/FRC (.19 vs .80). Five of 5 H and none of OP infants reached flow limitation during tidal breathing, but RR, FRC/kg, and MI between groups were not significantly different (NSD). Between PE and FU, paired t-test for combined H and O groups demonstrated increase in VmaxFRC/FRC, +.49 (P<.01), and decrease in FRC/kq. -3 (P<.04), but NSD in RR or MI.
There was a significant linear regression between CS and VmaxFRC/FRC (r=.80). We conclude that pulmonary function changes during PE in CF infants can effectively be assessed from partial expiratory flow volume curves and that flow limitation during tidal breathing is associated with severe lung disease.
Log in or create a free account to read this content
Gain free access to this article, as well as selected content from this journal and more on nature.com
or
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tepper, R., Hiatt, P., Eigen, H. et al. 1850 FLOW LIMITATION IN INFANTS WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS DURING A PULMONARY EXACERBATION. Pediatr Res 19, 419 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-01868
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-01868
