Diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO) pre‐ and post‐exercise in children in health and disease. Issue 8 (8th November 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fitzgerald, Nicholas M.; Kennedy, Brendan; Fitzgerald, Dominic A.; Selvadurai, Hiran
• Is Part Of: Pediatric pulmonology. Volume 49:Issue 8(2014:Aug.)
• Page Start: 782
• Page End: 789
• Publication Date: 2013-11-08
• Subjects: Pediatric respiratory diseases -- Periodicals; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; 618.922
• DOI: 10.1002/ppul.22925
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 8755-6863

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title>Summary</title> <sec id="ppul22925-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Rationale</title> <p>A decrease in diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) after exercise has been reported in healthy adults. There is limited information for post‐exercise DLCO available in children either in health or in disease.</p> </sec> <sec id="ppul22925-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Objectives</title> <p>To evaluate (1) reproducibility of DLCO measures in children, (2) differences in DLCO between elite athletic swimmers (AS), stable cystic fibrosis patients (CF), and healthy controls (Con) at rest; and (3) after a maximal treadmill exercise test.</p> </sec> <sec id="ppul22925-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Participants performed spirometry and DLCO at baseline, a maximal treadmill exercise test and repeated DLCO measures for 2 hr after cessation of exercise.</p> </sec> <sec id="ppul22925-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>The mean (SD) co‐efficient of variation between baseline DLCO tests was 2.49% (1.86%). In girls, the mean baseline DLCO (ml/min/mmHg) was 18.61 (4.15) in CF, 22.32 (4.79) in controls and 27.18 (5.33) in AS. In boys: 23.68 (5.31) in CF, 28.09 (9.95) in controls and 37.75 (9.46) in AS. Baseline DLCO was significantly higher in AS than in CF patients (<italic>P</italic> < 0.01). In girls post‐exercise, the greatest mean decrease in DLCO from baseline was −7.50% to −12.83% and in boys −6.92% to −17.71%. The decline in DLCO was less important in the athletes than the other groups (<italic>P</italic> < 0.05).</p> </sec> <sec id="ppul22925-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>DLCO is highly repeatable in children. AS have an increased DLCO at rest compared to both children with CF and controls. There is a decline from baseline to post‐exercise DLCO and while there are disease‐specific differences, the general pattern of change in DLCO measures after exercise is similar in children to adults. <bold>Pediatr Pulmonol. 2014; 49:782–789.</bold> © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.</p> </sec> </abstract>