Plethysmographic measurements of lung volume and airway resistance. ERS/ATS Task Force on Standards for Infant Respiratory Function Testing. European Respiratory Society/ American Thoracic Society.

Functional residual capacity (FRC) is the only static lung volume that can be measured routinely in infants. It is important for interpreting volume-dependent pulmonary mechanics such as airway resistance or forced expiratory flows, and for defining normal lung growth. Despite requiring complex equipment, the plethysmographic method for measuring FRC is very simple to apply and, unlike the gas dilution techniques, enables repeat measures of lung volume to be obtained within a few minutes. This method has the further advantage that with suitable adaptations to the equipment, simultaneous measurements of airway resistance can also be obtained. The aim of this paper is to provide recommendations pertaining to equipment requirements, study procedures and reporting of data for plethysmographic measurements in infants. Implementation of these recommendations should help to ensure that such measurements are as accurate as possible and that meaningful comparisons can be made between data collected in different centres or with different equipment. These guidelines cover numerous aspects including terminology and definitions, equipment, data acquisition and analysis and reporting of results and also highlight areas where further research is needed before consensus can be reached.

[1]  J. Stocks,et al.  The infant lung function model: a mechanical analogue to test infant lung function equipment. , 2001, The European respiratory journal.

[2]  J. Stocks,et al.  The bias flow nitrogen washout technique for measuring the functional residual capacity in infants. ERS/ATS Task Force on Standards for Infant Respiratory Function Testing. , 2001, The European respiratory journal.

[3]  J. Stocks,et al.  Influence of jacket placement on respiratory compliance during raised lung volume measurements in infants * , 2001, Pediatric pulmonology.

[4]  J Stocks,et al.  Passive respiratory mechanics: the occlusion techniques. , 2001, The European respiratory journal.

[5]  J. Stocks,et al.  Tidal breath analysis for infant pulmonary function testing. ERS/ATS Task Force on Standards for Infant Respiratory Function Testing. European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society. , 2000, The European respiratory journal.

[6]  Jason H. T. Bates,et al.  Specifications for signal processing and data handling used for infant pulmonary function testing , 2000 .

[7]  U. Frey,et al.  SERIES "STANDARDS FOR INFANT RESPIRATORY FUNCTION TESTING:ERJ/ATS TASK FORCE" Edited by J. Stocks and J. Gerritsen Number 1 in this series Specifications for equipment used for infant pulmonary function testing , .

[8]  J. Stocks,et al.  Standards for infant respiratory function testing: Specifications for equipment used for infant pulmonary function testing , 2000 .

[9]  Mg Morris.  A simple new technique to measure the effective dead space of the face mask with a water volumeter in infants. , 1999, The European respiratory journal.

[10]  H. Bisgaard,et al.  Measurement of the specific airway resistance by plethysmography in young children accompanied by an adult. , 1997, The European respiratory journal.

[11]  R. Peslin,et al.  Frequency dependence of specific airway resistance in a commercialized plethysmograph. , 1996, The European respiratory journal.

[12]  K. Agrawal,et al.  Body plethysmographic measurement of thoracic gas volume without panting against a shutter. , 1996, Journal of applied physiology.

[13]  Janet Stocks,et al.  Infant respiratory function testing , 1996 .

[14]  C. Gaultier,et al.  Respiratory function measurements in infants: measurement conditions. Working Group of the European Respiratory Society and the American Thoracic Society. , 1995, The European respiratory journal.

[15]  J. Stocks,et al.  Comparison of single-breath and plethysmographic measurements of resistance in infancy. , 1995, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.

[16]  Respiratory function measurements in infants: measurement conditions. American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society. , 1995, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.

[17]  S. Godfrey,et al.  Comparison of airway resistance and total respiratory system resistance in infants. , 1993, The American review of respiratory disease.

[18]  J. Stocks,et al.  Improved accuracy of the occlusion technique for assessing total respiratory compliance in infants , 1987, Pediatric pulmonology.

[19]  S. Godfrey,et al.  Airway resistance measurements throughout the respiratory cycle in infants. , 1986, Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases.

[20]  J. Stocks,et al.  The numerical analysis of pressure‐flow curves in infancy , 1985, Pediatric pulmonology.

[21]  J. Stocks,et al.  Pressure‐flow curves in infancy , 1985, Pediatric pulmonology.

[22]  S. Godfrey,et al.  Flow‐pressure looping during plethysmography in wheezy infants , 1985, Pediatric pulmonology.

[23]  R. Hyatt,et al.  Quiet-breathing vs. panting methods for determination of specific airway conductance. , 1984, Journal of applied physiology: respiratory, environmental and exercise physiology.

[24]  K. Agrawal.  Specific airways conductance in guinea pigs: normal values and histamine induced fall. , 1981, Respiration physiology.

[25]  Anil Kumar,et al.  Fall in specific airway conductance at residual volume in small airway obstruction. , 1980, Respiration physiology.

[26]  I. Dab,et al.  On the Advantages of Specific Airway Resistance , 1978, Pediatric Research.

[27]  I. Dab,et al.  A Simplified Approach to the Measurement of Specific Airway Resistance , 1976, Pediatric Research.