[Bronchial provocation in children: a comparison between the polyfrequent oscillation method and body...

With the aid of the forced oscillation technique (FOT), parameters of the mechanics of respiration are measured with a minimum requirement of patient cooperation. This means that this technique is particularly suitable for use in children. The resistance (Rrs) established with the FOT correlates well with the airway resistance (Raw) measured with whole-body plethysmography (BP) (2, 4). So far, the blind resistance (Xrs) also simultaneously measurable with FOT, has received but little attention. The objective of this investigation was, in children, to compare all the resistances measurable with FOT with the parameters of BP during bronchial provocations with carbachol.