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Investigation of Pulse Transit Time Characteristics During Single and Recurrent Obstructive Respiratory Events

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Abstract

Conventional overnight polysomnography (PSG) used to determine the respiratory behaviour during sleep can be a complex and expensive procedure. Pulse transit time analysis (PTT) has shown potential to detect obstructive apnoeic and hypopnoeic events (OE) in adults. Due to abnormalities in central ventilatory control, recurring OE may occur. This study was undertaken to determine the potential of PTT to differentiate responses during upper airway obstruction in the paediatric population. This preliminary study included 11 children (10 male; aged 7.5 ± 3.8 year) recruited to investigate PTT trend during single and recurrent OE. PTT measurements were evaluated against the corresponding PSG results pre-scored by two blinded obsercvers. A total of 110 valid OE (47 single and 63 recurrent) were observed during these PSG studies. There were distinct PTT responses observed for these two types of OE with respect to those of tidal breathing (P < 0.05). For the tidal breathing events, the mean absolute standard deviation (SD) and maximal percentage (%) decrease (MAX) were 7.71 ms and 3.88% respectively. For the recurrent OE, the absolute SD, SD (%) and MAX were 52.21 ms, 8.52% and 55.08% accordingly while for the single OE, the absolute SD, SD (%) and MAX were 12.23 ms, 5.27% and 13.56% respectively. The findings herein can suggest that PTT can be a valuable clinical tool in the paediatric respiratory sleep studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Research, Singapore General Hospital, 31 Third Hospital Avenue, Bowyer Block A Level 3, Outram Road, Singapore, 169608, Singapore

    Jong Yong A. Foo PhD

  2. Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Drive, Research Techno Plaza, 6th Storey Xfrontier Block, Singapore, 637553, Singapore

    Jong Yong A. Foo PhD

  3. School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia

    Stephen J. Wilson PhD, MBBS

  4. Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Mater Misericordiae Children’s Hospital, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia

    Gordon R. Williams BSc, Margaret-Ann Harris MBBS, FRACP & David M. Cooper MBBS, MSc, FRACP

Authors
  1. Jong Yong A. Foo PhD
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  2. Stephen J. Wilson PhD, MBBS
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  3. Gordon R. Williams BSc
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  4. Margaret-Ann Harris MBBS, FRACP
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  5. David M. Cooper MBBS, MSc, FRACP
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jong Yong A. Foo PhD.

Additional information

Foo JYA, Wilson SJ, Williams GR, Harris M-A, Cooper DM. Investigation of pulse transit time characteristics during single and recurrent obstructive respiratory events.

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Foo, J.Y.A., Wilson, S.J., Williams, G.R. et al. Investigation of Pulse Transit Time Characteristics During Single and Recurrent Obstructive Respiratory Events. J Clin Monit Comput 22, 327–332 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10877-008-9137-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10877-008-9137-9

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