Abstract
The volume of trapped gas (VTG) that could be mobilised by vital capacity breaths at the end of a multiple breath nitrogen wash-out to 2% N2 was measured in 11 patients with chronic bronchitis and 9 patients with asthma before and after inhalation of 0.4 mg of the beta2 agonist fenoterol. In the control state there was no significant difference between VTG of the two groups of patients, but after fenoterol the VTG of the patients with chronic bronchitis increased significantly (P<0.05) whereas a decrease (P<0.005) was seen in the asthmatics. It is concluded that in obstructive lung diseases, if bronchospasm is the main problem, fenoterol increases the parts of the lungs which are ventilated by tidal volume ventilation at rest. However, if secretions exceed bronchospasm the main effect of fenoterol seems to be that air, which is trapped in closed-off parts of the lungs during tidal volume breathing can be more easily mobilised during deep inspirations and the ability to get more air behind the secretion becomes increased.
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Arnved, J., Groth, S. & Dirksen, H. Changes in volume of trapped gas in chronic bronchitis and in asthma after inhalation of fenoterol. Lung 162, 297–304 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02715660
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02715660