Pulmonary function and exercise capacity in children following lung resection surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To study lung function and exercise capacity in children following lung resection surgery.


METHODS
Children aged 6-18 years who had lung resection surgery were studied and compared to normal children (age and sex matched). All had spirometry/body plethysmography and exercise stress test (performed by treadmill and modified Balke protocol).


RESULTS
13 Patients and 13 controls were studied (age 13.2 ± 3.3 years; 46.2 % male). The age at the time of lung resection surgery was 6.5 ± 4.7 years. The time interval between post-surgery and the tests was 6.8 ± 4.4 years. The most common indication for lung resection surgery was congenital lung malformations (61.5 %). 76.9 % of the patients had abnormal lung function. Exercise intolerance due to pulmonary limitations was found in 23.1 % of the patients. At the anaerobic threshold, the V(O2) was not different between the patients and the controls. However, at the end of the exercise, the patients demonstrated lower peak V(O2) than the controls (33.6 ± 6.0 vs. 39.3 ± 8.7 ml/min/kg; p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Abnormal lung functions and exercise intolerance were found in children following lung resection surgery. Children who had lung resection surgery had lower exercise capacity than normal children if the exercise was beyond the anaerobic threshold.
Division of Pulmonology and Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Rama IV Rd., Bangkok 10330, Thailand. ssritippayawan@yahoo.com
Suchada
S
Sritippayawan
Suthinee
S
Treerojanapon
Sompol
S
Sanguanrungsirikul
Jitladda
J
Deerojanawong
Nuanchan
N
Prapphal
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011013:Pneumonectomy