title: Pulmonary function tests in preschool children with asthma.
abstract: Pulmonary function tests are seldom performed in preschool children with asthma. The aim of this multicenter study was to compare pulmonary function in 74 preschool children with asthma (height of 90-130 cm) and 84 healthy control subjects. Functional residual capacity (helium dilution technique) and expiratory interrupter resistance (interrupter technique) were measured. As compared with control children, children with asthma had a significantly higher resistance (0.77 +/- 0.20 vs. 0.92 +/- 0.22 kPa. L-1. second, p < 0.001) and significantly lower specific expiratory interrupter conductance (p < 0.005) values. Resistance values were significantly higher in children with asthma with than without symptoms on exertion (p < 0.05). The effect of bronchodilator administration, expressed as the percentage of baseline and predicted resistance values, was significantly greater in children with asthma than in control subjects (-18.6 +/- 13.6% vs. -11.2 +/- 15.2%, p </= 0.001, and -23.2 +/- 19.2% vs. -12.6 +/- 17.8%, p < 0.001), respectively. A 35% decrease in resistance after bronchodilation expressed as the percentage of predicted values had a likelihood ratio of 3 for separating the bronchodilator response in children with asthma from that in healthy control subjects. Pulmonary function tests that do not require active cooperation may help in the management and follow-up of preschool children with asthma who are unable to perform forced expiratory maneuvers.
authors.affiliation: Physiology Department of the Robert Debré Teaching Hospital, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Beydon
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pin
authors.forename: Régis
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matran
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chaussain
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boulé
authors.forename: Beurey
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alain
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellet
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amsallem
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alberti
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Denjean
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gaultier
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005652:Functional Residual Capacity; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008170:Lung Compliance; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D012372:ROC Curve; D012016:Reference Values; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014797:Vital Capacity