Abstract
Introduction: FEV1 is recognized as the gold standard in monitoring patients with CF. There has been increasing interest on the significance of LCI in monitoring patients with CF.
Aim: To monitor changes of Multiple Breath Washout (MBW) measurements among patients with CF over a three year period. To correlate MBW parameter changes with age, pseudomonas status and disease severity assessed with FEV1.
Methods: Fifty-six CF patients were evaluated every three months, with MBW and spirometry. 617 measurements were performed, over a three-year period. Correlations among six-month changes of MBW and spirometry parameters with age, pseudomonas status and disease severity assessed with FEV1 were performed.
Results: 617 MBW and spirometry measurements were performed; 56 CF patients (mean age 10.6 years, mean BMI 18.10 kg/m2, mean FEV1 98.25%, mean LCI 10.2) were evaluated. FRC, LCI, Scond, Sacin, M1M0, M2M0, FEV1% and FEF2575% deteriorated significantly with age of the patients (p=0.001). LCI deteriorated significantly over a six-month period compared to baseline (ΔLCI : 6 months=0.68, 12 months= 0.88, 24 months= 1.51, 36 months= 2.44, p<0.001). ΔLCI over 12 and 18 months correlated with age, pseudomonas colonization status (p<0.05) and with disease severity group based on FEV1 (p<0.05). ΔLCI over 18 months was significantly higher among school- aged children, compared to preschoolers, (p= 0.045) and significantly higher among adolescents, compared to school-aged children (p=0.017).
Conclusions: MBW is a new tool for monitoring patients with CF. LCI changes over time correlates with the age group, pseudomonas status and disease severity based on FEV1.
- Copyright ©ERS 2015
