Abstract
Introduction: Infant tidal breathing lung function measures are mostly performed in sleeping infants with steady breathing patterns. For measures in awake infants with periodic irregular breathing, standardized criteria and available software for visual inspection and selection of tidal breathing curves are lacking.
Aims and Objectives: We aimed to validate a standard operating procedure for visual inspection and selection of tidal flow volume (TFV) curves in awake infants.
Methods: In 52 randomly selected 3-month old healthy infants from the population-based, mother-child birth cohort PreventADALL (Preventing Atopic Dermatitis and ALLergies) three raters independently evaluated TFV curves obtained with Ecomedics Exhalyzer D.
Predefined criteria for visual evaluation of TFV curves focusing on the curve shape included reproducible curves by shape and volume, accepting one peak in tidal expiratory flow (PTEF) only, excluding curves without a clear PTEF or uneven flow towards PTEF. We calculated the intra class coefficient (ICC; from two-way random-effects model) for important outcomes to assess absolute agreement between the three raters, including the main outcome ratio of time to PTEF by total expiratory time (tPTEF/tE).
Results: The ICC (95% confidence intervals) for tPTEF/tE, respiratory rate, tidal volume/kg and expiratory volume were 0.97 (0.92,0.98), 0.99 (0.99,1.00), 0.98 (0.97,0.99) and 0.98 (0.97,0.99) respectively, reflecting excellent agreement in all outcomes.
Conclusion: The present study shows that analysis of TFV curves based on ATS/ERS guidelines for tidal breath analysis with additional criteria for visual evaluation in awake infants is reliable and can be used in a real-life setting.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2019; 54: Suppl. 63, PA918.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2019