Abstract
Background: Nasal NO (nNO) measurement is the recommended screening tool for primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) from the age of 5 years. While reliable velum-closure and non-velum-closure techniques are now available from the age of 2 years, no data on nNO determination exist for younger individuals. This study aims to assess feasibility and values of nNO in healthy and symptomatic neonates and infants.
Methods: Nasal NO was assessed in sleeping neonates and infants with and without respiratory symptoms using the NIOX MINO device in tidal breathing. For validation, results were compared to a gold standard device (NIOX FLEX).
Results: 27 neonates (median age 3 days [quartiles 2, 3]) and 38 infants (41.5 days [30.8, 100.3]) were included in the analysis so far. All neonates and 24 (63%) of the infants were free of respiratory symptoms. Nasal NO measurement was successfully applied in 100% of all subjects. Median nNO values were comparable in both age groups for healthy subjects using the NIOX MINO (neonates 23 ppb [17, 31], infants 28 ppb (17, 42), whereas infants with respiratory symptoms had lower nNO values (12 ppb [5, 47]). nNO values were higher in neonates when NIOX FLEX was applied (34 ppb [26, 50]).
Conclusion: Nasal NO measurement is feasible in neonates and infants using the NIOX MINO device. In this preliminary analysis, nNO values are far below the cuff-off values of older children even in healthy individuals. A control group consisting of infants with PCD is currently being recruited and will be compared with the results of subjects with and without respiratory symptoms to answer the question if nasal NO determination can be applied as a reliable screening tool for PCD in very young children.
- © 2014 ERS
