title: Can daytime measures of lung function predict respiratory failure in children with neuromuscular disease?
abstract: Neuromuscular disorders in children are a heterogeneous group of conditions with a variable age of presentation and overlapping clinical manifestations, many of which have progressive respiratory morbidity. Respiratory insufficiency occurs as a consequence of an imbalance between demands on the respiratory system and respiratory muscle capacity. Daytime measures of pulmonary function are used routinely in these children to assess respiratory status and monitor the consequences of the progression of muscle weakness. This review describes the current evidence for daytime pulmonary function tests and their ability to predict imminent respiratory morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney; Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney. Electronic address: Chetan.pandit@health.nsw.gov.au.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Pandit
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney; Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney; Department of Clinical Genetics, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney; Department of Neurology, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney; Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014851:Wakefulness
keywords: Daytime measures; Neuromuscular disease; Pulmonary function