title: Negative expiratory pressure test: a new, simple method to identify patients at risk for obstructive sleep apnea.
abstract: The objective of this article was to describe a new method for assessing expiratory flow limitation during spontaneous breathing, using the negative expiratory pressure test to identify patients at risk for obstructive sleep apnea. Upper airway collapsibility is evaluated by measuring decreases in flow and in expired volume in the first 0.2 seconds after negative expiratory pressure application at 10 cmH₂O. The negative expiratory pressure test is easily applied and could be adopted for the evaluation of expiratory flow limitation caused by upper airway obstruction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
authors: Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Nove de Julho University, São Paulo, Brazil. oliveira.lvf@pq.cnpq.br
authors: Luis Vicente Franco de
authors: LV
authors: Oliveira
authors: Salvatore
authors: S
authors: Romano
authors: Raquel Pastréllo
authors: RP
authors: Hirata
authors: Newton Santos de
authors: NS
authors: Faria Júnior
authors: Lílian Chrystiane
authors: LC
authors: Giannasi
authors: Sergio Roberto
authors: SR
authors: Nacif
authors: Fernando Sergio Studart
authors: FS
authors: Leitão Filho
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Insalaco
mesh_terms: D005540:Forced Expiratory Flow Rates / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis*