Airway obstruction, upper airway artifact and response to bronchodilator in asthmatic and healthy children

• Published in: Pediatric pulmonology 2015-11, Vol.50 (11), p.1053-1059
• Main Authors: Ioan, Iulia, Coutier, Laurianne, Bonabel, Claude, Albrecht, Joris, Demoulin, Bruno, Marchal, François, Schweitzer, Cyril, Varechova, Silvia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Airway Obstruction - drug therapy; Airway Obstruction - physiopathology; Airway Resistance - drug effects; Airway Resistance - physiology; Albuterol - pharmacology; Albuterol - therapeutic use; asthma; Asthma - drug therapy; Asthma - physiopathology; Bronchodilator Agents - pharmacology; Bronchodilator Agents - therapeutic use; bronchomotor tone; Child; Female; forced oscillation; head generator; Human health and pathology; Humans; Life Sciences; Male; respiratory admittance; respiratory admittance, head generator; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 8755-6863; 1099-0496
• DOI: 10.1002/ppul.23131

Summary Background The forced oscillation technique (FOT) may be affected by the upper airway artifact in children with airway obstruction. The aim was to test the impact of the artifact on FOT ability to diagnose asthma in children as recommended by current guidelines. Methods: The FOT was performed in 58 asthmatics and 27 controls before and after salbutamol. Respiratory resistance (Rrs) was measured at 8 Hz with a standard generator (SG), and a head generator (HG) that minimizes the upper airway artifact. The response to salbutamol was computed as change in respiratory resistance (Δ%Rrs) and admittance (Δ%Ars) that almost cancels the effect of the upper airway artifact. Results: Rrs and Δ%Rrs were significantly larger in patients than controls by HG (respectively P