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Updated: Dec 28, 2025
Experimental Model to Evaluate Resolution of Pneumonia
Published on: February 17, 2023
[Changes in pulmonary function in infants and young children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia]
Fang-Jun Liu1, Cai-Hui Gong, Jiang-Jiao Qin
1Department of Pulmonary Function Test Room, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders/China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders/National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders/Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing 400014, China. lsls2628@126.com.
Insights
Infants with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) show more severe airway obstruction than other pneumonias, with lingering limitations even after recovery. Pulmonary function improves over time but may not fully normalize within four weeks post-discharge.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Infectious Diseases
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) is a common cause of respiratory illness in young children.
- Pulmonary function changes in infants and young children with MPP require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the alterations in pulmonary function among infants and young children diagnosed with MPP.
- To compare pulmonary function in MPP patients with non-MPP pneumonia cases and normal reference values.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 196 hospitalized children (0-36 months) with MPP and 208 controls (non-MPP pneumonia).
- Pulmonary function assessment on admission day and discharge day.
- Follow-up pulmonary function tests at 2 and 4 weeks post-discharge for the MPP group.
Main Results:
- MPP group exhibited significantly reduced TPTEF/TE and VPTEF/VE, increased respiratory rate, and airway resistance compared to non-MPP group.
- Both groups showed reduced VPTEF/VE and TPTEF/TE on admission; MPP group had persistent reductions at discharge, unlike the non-MPP group.
- MPP group showed improvement in VPTEF/VE and TPTEF/TE post-discharge, but TPTEF/TE remained below normal levels at 4 weeks.
Conclusions:
- Infants and young children with acute MPP or non-MPP present with airway obstruction.
- MPP is associated with more severe airway obstruction and a prolonged recovery period compared to non-MPP pneumonia.
- A degree of airway limitation persists in the recovery phase for children with MPP.
Objective:
To study the changes in pulmonary function in infants and young children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP).
Methods:
A total of 196 hospitalized children (at age of 0-36 months) who were diagnosed with MPP from January 2014 to June 2018 were enrolled as study subjects. A total of 208 children (at age of 0-36 months) with pneumonia not caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection during the same period of time were enrolled as controls (non-MPP group). A retrospective analysis was performed for their clinical data. The two groups were compared in the pulmonary function on the next day after admission and on the day of discharge. The children with MPP were followed up to observe pulmonary function at weeks 2 and 4 after discharge.
Results:
Compared with the non-MPP group, the MPP group had significant reductions in the ratio of time to peak tidal expiratory flow to total expiratory time (TPTEF/TE), ratio of volume to peak tidal expiratory flow to total expiratory volume (VPTEF/VE), inspiratory-to-expiratory time ratio, and tidal expiratory flow at 25% remaining expiration on the next day after admission and on the day of discharge (P<0.05). In addition there were significant increases in the ratio of peak tidal expiratory flow to tidal expiratory flow at 25% remaining expiration, respiratory rate, effective airway resistance, and plethysmographic functional residual capacity per kilogram (P<0.05). Compared with the normal reference values of pulmonary function parameters, both groups had reductions in VPTEF/VE and TPTEF/TE on the next day after admission; on the day of discharge, the MPP group still had reductions in VPTEF/VE and TPTEF/TE, while the non-MPP group had normal values. The MPP group had increases in VPTEF/VE and TPTEF/TE from the day of discharge to weeks 2 and 4 after discharge (P<0.05), but TPTEF/TE still did not reach the normal value at week 4 after discharge.
Conclusions:
Airway obstruction is observed in infants and young children with acute MPP or non-MPP, and the children with MPP have a higher severity of airway obstruction and a longer time for improvement, with a certain degree of airway limitation in the recovery stage.
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