RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Determination of predominant site of airway obstruction in patients of bronchial asthma: Role of impulse oscillometry
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP p927
VO 38
IS Suppl 55
A1 Harmanjit Singh Hira
A1 Amandeep Kaur
YR 2011
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p927.abstract
AB Background: The major site of airflow limitation in bronchial asthma varied from central to peripheral airways.Aims and objectives: To determine predominant site of airway obstruction in patients of bronchial asthma by impulse oscillometry and flow volume loop.Methods: Twenty five patients of asthma underwent both impulse oscillometry and flow volume loop studies. Predominant site of airway obstruction was determined by impedance spectra and visual lung model of IOS, and parameters of flow volume loop.Results: Two patients were excluded from final analysis as their impedance spectra showed significant upper airway influence which would have made localization of site of airway obstruction invalid.Of the 23 patients, IOS could detect obstruction in all of them (P<0.05). It revealed predominant obstruction in central airways in 15 (65.5%) and predominant peripheral airway obstruction in eight (34.5%) patients.Flow volume loop could detect obstruction in 18 patients (78.2%). This did localise combined central and peripheral airway obstruction among 12 patients (52.2%). Six (26.1%) patients had predominant obstruction in peripheral airways.Conclusions: To determine site of airway obstruction, impulse oscillometry has proven to be an advantageous over flow volume loop. Furthermore, it could detect airway obstruction among those patients where flow volume loop was normal.