title: Comparison of FEV1 and transcutaneous oxygen tension in the measurement of airway responsiveness to methacholine.
abstract: The measurement of airway responsiveness in preschool children is hampered by the fact that most tests of airway caliber are difficult to carry out at a young age. Patient cooperation is only needed to a limited extent when transcutaneous oxygen tension (PtcO2) is used as an indicator of airway obstruction following bronchial provocation. In 51 children, aged 6-14 years with asthma we have measured PtcO2 and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) concurrently after bronchial provocation, using increasing doses of methacholine administered with a De Villbiss 646 nebulizer and a French-Rosenthal dosimeter. The shapes of the dose-response curves to PtcO2 and FEV1 show a close similarity. After methacholine challenge, the decrease in PtcO2 correlates highly with the decrease in FEV1. We conclude that in children a 20% decrease in PtcO2 can be used as a sensitive indicator of airway narrowing after methacholine challenge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van Broekhoven
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Hop
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rasser
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: de Jongste
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Kerrebijn
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001785:Blood Gas Monitoring, Transcutaneous; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride
chemical_list: D016210:Methacholine Chloride