PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Luigi Lubrano AU - Sonia Volpi AU - Elisa Andreatta AU - Antonella Borruso AU - Elena Spinelli AU - Corrado Vassanelli AU - Ugo Pradal AU - Ciro D'Orazio TI - Lung clearance index in asthmatic patients AID - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2016.PA4372 DP - 2016 Sep 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - PA4372 VI - 48 IP - suppl 60 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/PA4372.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/PA4372.full SO - Eur Respir J2016 Sep 01; 48 AB - INTRODUCTION Over the last decade the study of pulmonary function by multiple breath washout technique (MBW) has been widely used to detect early pulmonary changes in Cystic Fibrosis. On the contrary there are only few studies that use Lung Clearance Index (LCI) in other chronic lung diseases like asthma. Moreover data regarding bronchodilator response on LCI are contradictory.AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To find out whether LCI was able to detect any early involvement of small airways in stable asthmatic children and if was more sensitive than spirometry to detect bronchoreversibility after salbutamol administration.METHODS We performed spirometry and N2-Multiple Breath Wash Out (N2-MBW, Exhalyzer D, Ecomedix) in a group of stable asthmatic patients and in a group of healthy children. In the first group we repeated spirometry and N2-MBW after administration of 400μg of salbutamolRESULTS 12 asthmatic children (mean age: 6.0 yrs) and 9 healthy controls (mean age: 5.4 yrs) were tested. Basal FEV1 and basal LCI were no statistically different between the 2 groups. After the administration of Salbutamol the increase of FEV1 was of 5%. Among the asthmatic group LCI after the administration of salbutamol showed a statistically significant decrease (p=0.009) CONCLUSIONS Our data showed that basal LCI was not different between the two groups. In asthmatic patients it could be more sensitive then spirometry in detecting bronchoreversibility.