The use of bracing in the treatment of mild idiopathic scoliosis is controversial. A study of 33 adolescents showed that bracing significantly decreased lung volumes. Functional residual capacity was reduced by a mean of 26%, 18% of children showing a reduction of greater than 40%. The mean reduction in total lung capacity was 16% and in forced vital capacity 18%. This restriction of lung funct...

In this issue of RESPIRATORY CARE, a report by Borg and Thompson1 examines an aspect of the measurement of static lung volumes according to recommendations in the 2005 American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) Standardisation of Lung Function Testing.2-6 The procedure for measuring absolute lung volumes begins with establishing functional residual capacity, followed by ...

PURPOSE Lung size mismatch is a major cause of poor lung function and worse survival after lung transplantation (LTx). We compared predicted total lung capacity (pTLC) and TLC measured by chest computed tomography (TLC(CT)) in LTx candidates. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed the medical records of patients on waiting lists for LTx. According to the results of pulmonary function tests, patien...

We read with extreme interest the recently published work by O’Donnell and colleagues (May 2010). 1 Comparing lung volumes obtained using different techniques in a sample of patients with severe airfl ow limitation, the authors conclude that plethysmography systematically overestimates lung volumes with regard to gas dilution and thoracic imaging techniques. We believe it is meritorious to asse...

The importance of routine pre-oxygenation before induction of anaesthesia was demonstrated in animals. The onset of dangerous levels of hypoxia after the administered of suxamethonium can be delayed considerably by the administration of pure oxygen for 5 minutes before induction. This allows time for an atraumatic and a panic-free intubation before controlled ventilation. After pre-oxygenation ...

Height is used in allocation of donor lungs as an indirect estimate of thoracic size. Total lung capacity (TLC), determined by both height and sex, could be a more accurate functional estimation of thoracic size. Size-matching criteria based on height versus predicted TLC was retrospectively evaluated, and, furthermore, whether a TLC mismatch was related to clinical and functional complications...

Gas transfer in the female lung varies over the menstrual cycle in parallel with the cyclic angiogenesis that occurs in the uterine endometrium. Given that vessels form and regress in the uterus under the control of hormones, angiogenic factors, and proangiogenic circulating bone marrow-derived progenitor cells, we tested the possibility that variation in pulmonary gas transfer over the menstru...

RATIONALE Methylarginines are endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitors that have been implicated in animal models of lung disease but have not previously been examined for their association with spirometric measures of lung function in humans. OBJECTIVES This study measured serum concentrations of asymmetric and symmetric dimethylarginine in a representative sample of older community-dwell...

Slow spirometry and forced spirometry (flow volume loop) are often used to measure clinically relevant lung volumes and forced expiratory and inspiratory flows. Dynamic parameters, such as forced expiratory volumes in one second (FEV1) or forced vital capacity (FVC) and static lung volumes, such as expiratory reserve volume (ERV), inspiratory capacity (IC) and inspiratory vital capacity (IVC) c...