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Pulmonary function tests in preschool children with asthma

Nicole Beydon1, Isabelle Pin, Régis Matran

  • 1Physiology Department of the Robert Debré Teaching Hospital, Grenoble, France.

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
|July 19, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Pulmonary function tests reveal preschool children with asthma have higher airway resistance. These tests, using the interrupter technique, aid asthma management in young children unable to perform standard lung function tests.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Respiratory Physiology

Background:

  • Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are rarely conducted in preschool children diagnosed with asthma.
  • Assessing lung function in this age group is challenging due to their inability to perform forced expiratory maneuvers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare pulmonary function parameters between preschool children with asthma and healthy controls.
  • To evaluate the utility of non-cooperative PFTs for asthma diagnosis and management in young children.

Main Methods:

  • A multicenter study involving 74 preschool children with asthma and 84 healthy controls (height 90-130 cm).
  • Measurements included functional residual capacity (helium dilution) and expiratory interrupter resistance (interrupter technique).
  • Bronchodilator response was assessed by measuring changes in resistance.

Main Results:

  • Children with asthma exhibited significantly higher airway resistance and lower specific expiratory interrupter conductance compared to controls.
  • Higher resistance was observed in asthmatic children with exertional symptoms.
  • Asthmatic children showed a significantly greater bronchodilator response in resistance compared to controls.

Conclusions:

  • Non-cooperative PFTs, specifically the interrupter technique, can differentiate pulmonary function in preschool children with asthma.
  • These tests offer a valuable tool for the management and follow-up of asthma in young children unable to perform traditional PFTs.

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