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The interrupter technique to assess airway responsiveness in children with cystic fibrosis

Philip L Davies1, Iolo J Doull, Frances Child

  • 1Department of Respiratory Paediatrics, Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust, Manchester, UK. daviep@doctors.net.uk

Pediatric Pulmonology
|November 16, 2006
PubMed

Insights

The interrupter technique (Rint) is not a suitable alternative to forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) for assessing airway responsiveness in children with cystic fibrosis, as they measure different aspects of lung function.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Respiratory Physiology

Background:

  • Airway hyperresponsiveness is a key feature in cystic fibrosis (CF).
  • Accurate measurement of airway responsiveness is crucial for CF management.
  • The interrupter technique (Rint) is a potential tool for assessing lung function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the validity of the interrupter technique (Rint) for measuring airway responsiveness in children with cystic fibrosis.
  • To compare Rint measurements with standard spirometry (FEV1) in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Fifty children (aged 6-16 years) with cystic fibrosis participated.
  • Airway responsiveness was assessed using Rint and forced expiratory maneuvers (FEV1) before and after bronchodilator administration.
  • Correlation between Rint and FEV1 was analyzed.

Main Results:

  • A moderate correlation was found between inverse Rint and FEV1 in the overall population.
  • No relationship was observed between changes in Rint and FEV1 after bronchodilator.
  • Different subsets of children were identified as bronchodilator responsive by each method.

Conclusions:

  • Rint and FEV1 reflect distinct aspects of lung function in children with CF.
  • Rint is not an appropriate substitute for FEV1 in assessing individual airway responsiveness in this population.
  • Clinical decisions regarding airway responsiveness in CF should rely on established FEV1 measures.

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