Abstract
The small airways of the lungs are an important site of involvement in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . The techniques in pulmonary function testing to assess small airways include spirometry, plethysmography, impulse oscillometry, inert gas washout, and exhaled nitric oxide measurement. Since each test provides unique information, a combination of these investigations will likely provide the best evaluation of small airway pathology.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Abbreviations
- COPD:
-
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- CT:
-
Computed tomography
- CV:
-
Closing volume
- FEF25–75:
-
Forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of the forced vital capacity
- FENO:
-
Fractional excretion of nitric oxide
- FEV1:
-
Forced expiratory volume in 1 s
- FRC:
-
Functional residual capacity
- Fres:
-
Resonant frequency
- FVC:
-
Forced vital capacity
- HZ:
-
Hertz
- IOS:
-
Impulse oscillometry
- MMEF:
-
Maximum mid-expiratory flow
- MRI:
-
Magnetic resonance imaging
- PET:
-
Positron emission tomography
- R5–R20:
-
Difference between the high (20 Hz) and low (5 Hz) frequency signals
- RV:
-
Residual volume
- SIII:
-
Slope of phase III
- SPECT:
-
Single photon emission computed tomography
- sRaw:
-
Specific airway resistance
- SVC:
-
Slow vital capacity
- TLC:
-
Total lung capacity
References
Desh D, Prasad A, Atwal SA, Agarwal K. Recognition of small airways dysfunction in asthma and COPD – the road less travelled. J Clin Diagn Res. 2017;11(3):TE01–5.
McNulty W, Usmani O. Techniques of assessing small airways dysfunction. Eur Clin Respir J. 2014;17:1.
Mead J. The lung’s “quiet zone”. N Engl J Med. 1970;282:1318–9. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM197006042822311.
McFadden ER Jr, Linden DA. A reduction in maximum mid-expiratory flow rate. A spirographic manifestation of small-airways disease. Am J Med. 1972;52:725–37.
Quanjer PH, Weiner DJ, Pretto JJ, Brazzale DJ, et al. Measurement of FEF25–75% and FEF75% does not contribute to clinical decision-making. Eur Respir J. 2014 Apr;43(4):1051–8.
Kirkby J. Plethysmographic assessment of airway resistance. https://www.ers-education.org/lrmedia/2016/pdf/298399.pdf.
Goldman MD, Saadeh C, Ross D. Clinical applications of forced oscillation to assess peripheral airway function. Respir Physiol Neurobiol. 2005;148:179–94.
Chiu HY, Hsiao YH, Su KC, Lee YC, et al. Small airway dysfunction by impulse oscillometry in symptomatic patients with preserved pulmonary function. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020;8(1):229–235.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2019.06.035.
Robinson PD, Latzin P, Verbanck S, Hall GL, et al. Consensus statement for inert gas washout measurement using multiple- and single-breath tests. Eur Respir J. 2013;41:507–22. https://doi.org/10.1183/09031936.00069712.
Spergel JM, Fogg MI, Bokszczanin-Knosala A. Correlation of exhaled nitric oxide, spirometry and asthma symptoms. J Asthma. 2005;42(10):879–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/02770900500371344.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Reddy, R. (2021). Evaluation of Peripheral Airways. In: Esquinas, A.M. (eds) Pulmonary Function Measurement in Noninvasive Ventilatory Support. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76197-4_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76197-4_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-76196-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-76197-4
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)