Related Experiment Video
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Author Spotlight: Enhancing Diagnostic Strategies and Biomarker Development for Comprehensive Lung Function Analysis
Published on: August 9, 2024
Assessment of pulmonary function in a follow-up of premature infants: our experience
F Ciuffini1, O Marijke, A Lavizzari
1NICU, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano. mariarosa.colnaghi@mangiagalli.it.
Insights
Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) can now reliably assess lung function in infants, aiding in the management of respiratory diseases like bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). These non-invasive bedside tests improve treatment and follow-up for infants with lung conditions.
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Respiratory diseases are a significant cause of infant morbidity, particularly in preterm infants.
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a relevant long-term complication of prematurity.
- Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) are not routinely used in neonates and infants despite their potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the current state and potential of PFTs in assessing infant pulmonary function.
- To emphasize the feasibility of reliable PFTs in non-cooperative subjects (infants).
- To underscore the importance of PFTs in managing neonatal respiratory diseases.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing non-invasive, safe, and reliable bedside methods for pulmonary function assessment.
- Implementing continuous monitoring capabilities for pulmonary function.
- Ensuring adequate data calculation and management for PFTs in infants.
Main Results:
- Pulmonary function assessment in newborns and infants is now possible with high reliability, comparable to cooperative adults.
- Methods allow for the extension of pulmonary function assessment from laboratory ('bench') to the patient's bedside.
- Non-invasive bedside PFTs enable continuous monitoring and data management.
Conclusions:
- Reliable bedside PFTs are crucial for understanding respiratory failure mechanisms in infants.
- These tests improve the efficacy of treatment and patient follow-up for neonatal lung diseases.
- PFTs are a valuable tool for the comprehensive care of newborns and infants with pulmonary conditions.
Abstract:
Respiratory diseases are a major cause of morbidity in neonates, especially preterm infants; a long term complication of prematurity such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is particularly relevant today. The exact role of the Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) in this area is not yet well defined; the PFT in newborns and infants - in contrast to what happens in uncooperative children and adults - are routinely used only in a few centers. The assessment of pulmonary function in newborns and infants, however, is nowadays possible with the same reliability that in cooperative patients with the possibility to extend the assessment of polmonary function from bench to bed. The assessment of pulmonary function must be carried out with non invasive and safe methods, at the bedside, with the possibility of continuous monitoring and providing adequate calculation and management of data. The ability to assess lung function helps to define the mechanisms of respiratory failure, improving the treatment and its effects and is therefore a useful tool in the follow-up of newborn and infant with pulmonary disease.
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