title: Breath-holding in healthy and pulmonary-compromised populations: effects of hyperventilation and oxygen inspiration.
abstract: Suspension of respiration during end-expiration often is recommended to minimize body organ displacement between sequential image acquisitions. The purpose of this report is to evaluate techniques for end-expiratory breath-holding applicable to a pulmonary-compromised population. Eighty-seven consecutive outpatients with chronic pulmonary diseases and 31 healthy nonsmoking volunteers were recruited for the study. All subjects were asked to hold their breath in end-expiration while in the supine position (29 after breathing room air, 29 after hyperventilating room air for six breaths, and 29 after breathing O2 from a portable oxygen tank via nasal cannula until pulse-oximeter readings stabilized or reached 100%). Each volunteer was tested with all three methods. The mean length of time for a breath-hole on room air without hyperventilation was 9.2 seconds for the patients and 31.7 seconds for the volunteers. A breath-hold after hyperventilation of room air was timed at 12.3 seconds for the patients and 41.2 seconds for the volunteers, and after O2 administration, the breath-hold was 22.4 seconds for the patients and 60.9 seconds for the volunteers. No adverse effects occurred. The pulmonary-compromised patient can suspend respiration most successfully after O2 administration (P < .0001), whereas hyperventilation seems to be less beneficial. Nonpulmonary-compromised volunteers can hold their breath for longer periods of time.
authors.affiliation: Michigan Hospital and Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Detroit 48208, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Simelaro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001049:Apnea; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006985:Hyperventilation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012016:Reference Values; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology*; D013147:Spirometry; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen