PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - J. Stocks
AU  - S. Godfrey
AU  - C. Beardsmore
AU  - E. Bar-Yishay
AU  - R. Castile
ED  - ,
TI  - Plethysmographic measurements of lung volume and airway resistance
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.01.17203020
DP  - 2001 Feb 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 302--312
VI  - 17
IP  - 2
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/17/2/302.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/17/2/302.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2001 Feb 01; 17
AB  - Functional residual capacity (FRC) is the only static lung volume that can be measured routinely in infants. It is important for interpreting volume-dependent pulmonary mechanics such as airway resistance or forced expiratory flows, and for defining normal lung growth. Despite requiring complex equipment, the plethysmographic method for measuring FRC is very simple to apply and, unlike the gas dilution techniques, enables repeat measures of lung volume to be obtained within a few minutes. This method has the further advantage that with suitable adaptations to the equipment, simultaneous measurements of airway resistance can also be obtained.The aim of this paper is to provide recommendations pertaining to equipment requirements, study procedures and reporting of data for plethysmographic measurements in infants. Implementation of these recommendations should help to ensure that such measurements are as accurate as possible and that meaningful comparisons can be made between data collected in different centres or with different equipment. These guidelines cover numerous aspects including terminology and definitions, equipment, data acquisition and analysis and reporting of results and also highlight areas where further research is needed before consensus can be reached.This work was supported by a grant from the European Respiratory Society, and by donations from GlaxoWellcome (UK) and GlaxoWellcome AB (Sweden).