Effect of change of body position in spontaneous sleeping healthy infants on SF6-based multiple breath washout. Issue 6 (5th December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Robinson, Paul D.; Kadar, Laszlo; Lindblad, Anders; Gustafsson, Per M.
• Is Part Of: European respiratory journal. Volume 54:Issue 6(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-12-05
• Subjects: Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiration -- Periodicals; 616.2
• DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00259-2019
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0903-1936

Abstract

Reference values previously published in the European Respiratory Journal for sulfur hexafluoride (SF6 )-based multiple breath washout (MBW) [1] highlight that lung clearance index (LCI) values were significantly higher in infancy ( i.e. first two years of life) compared with the later preschool age range (2–6 years). A number of factors were postulated in recent American Thoracic Society (ATS) preschool MBW technical standards [2]: ongoing lung and chest wall development [3]; use of sedation and supine testing position in infancy; and relatively larger equipment-related dead space volume ( V D ) in younger subjects. Use of alveolar-based LCI to correct for V D did not change this pattern suggesting minimal V D impact as a mechanism to explain these changes [4]. Specific to body position, infants are tested supine (as asleep) and preschoolers are tested sat upright (as awake). The impact of changing body position remains unclear on MBW outcomes. Our aim was to investigate effect of body position on ventilation distribution, resting lung volume (functional residual capacity; FRC) and breathing pattern in healthy infants during spontaneous sleep. Change of body position from supine to sitting had no effect on FRC and only a minimal effect on MBW indices of ventilation inhomogeneity. Change of body position contributes minimally to the difference observed between infant and preschool LCI values. http://bit.ly/2MjbYFv