title: [Body plethysmography (I): Standardisation and quality criteria].
abstract: Whole body plethysmography is used to measure lung volumes, capacities and resistances. It is a well standardised technique, and although it is widely used in paediatric chest diseases units, it requires specific equipment, specialist staff, and some cooperation by the patient. Plethysmography uses Boyle's law in order to measure the intrathoracic gas volume or functional residual capacity, and once this is determined, the residual volume and total lung capacity is extrapolated. The measurement of total lung capacity is necessary for the diagnosis of restrictive diseases. Airway resistance is a measurement of obstruction, with the total resistance being able to be measured, which includes chest wall, lung tissue and airway resistance, as well as the specific airway resistance, which is a more stable parameter that is determined by multiplying the measured values of airway resistance and functional residual capacity. The complexity of this technique, the reference equations, the differences in the equipment and their variability, and the conditions in which it is performed, has led to the need for its standardisation. Throughout this article, the practical aspects of plethysmography are analysed, specifying recommendations for performing it, its systematic calibration and the calculations that must be made, as well as the interpretation of the results obtained. The aim of this article is to provide a better understanding of the principles of whole body plethysmography with the aim of optimising the interpretation of the results, leading to improved management of the patient, as well as a consensus among the speciality.
authors: Sección de Neumología Pediátrica y Fibrosis Quística, Hospital Universitario Vall d́Hebron, Barcelona, España. Electronic address: idemir@vhebron.net.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: de Mir Messa
authors: Sección de Neumología Pediátrica, Hospital Universitario Donostia, San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, España; Departamento de Pediatría, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, UPV/EHU, San Sebastián, España.
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Sardón Prado
authors: Sección de Neumología Pediátrica, Consorci Hospitalari Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Barcelona, España.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Larramona
authors: Sección de Neumología, Hospital Maternoinfantil Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, España.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Salcedo Posadas
authors: Sección de Neumología, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, España.
authors: J R
authors: JR
authors: Villa Asensi
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D010993:Plethysmography, Whole Body / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D011786:Quality Control; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
keywords: Capacidad residual funcional; Functional residual capacity; Intrathoracic gas volume; Pletismografía corporal total; Resistencia especíﬁca de la vía aérea; Resistencia total de la vía aérea; Specific airway resistance; Total airway resistance; Volumen de gas intratorácico; Whole body plethysmography