Reference equation for maximal voluntary ventilation in children and adolescents

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Respiratory Physiology
• Clinical Measurement

Background:

• Maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) is a key indicator of respiratory muscle function.
• Establishing normative data for MVV in children and adolescents is crucial for accurate diagnosis of respiratory impairments.
• Existing MVV reference equations may not be universally applicable across diverse pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate reference equations for maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) in healthy children and adolescents.
• To assess the reproducibility of MVV measurements in the pediatric age group.
• To provide reliable tools for identifying respiratory abnormalities in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 348 healthy volunteers aged 6-17 years.
• Spirometry and MVV measurements were performed.
• Reference equations were derived using age, sex, weight, height, and pulmonary function parameters.

Main Results:

• Normative MVV reference equations were successfully developed for both children and adolescents.
• The developed equations demonstrated high validity, with no significant differences between measured and predicted MVV.
• Excellent reproducibility was confirmed, with high intraclass correlation coefficients (0.95 for children, 0.90 for adolescents).

Conclusions:

• Established normative MVV values and derived equations for pediatric populations.
• The developed equations are reproducible and valid for clinical use.
• These tools can aid in the detection and management of respiratory impairments in children and adolescents.