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Effective pulmonary blood flow in normal children at rest
J J Bowyer1, J O Warner, D M Denison
1Department of Clinical Physiology, Brompton Hospital, London.
Insights
Pulmonary blood flow in healthy children (5-14 years) was measured using a soluble inert gas rebreathing method. The average effective pulmonary blood flow index was 2.7 L/min/m², correlating with body size and lung volumes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Cardiopulmonary Physiology
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Assessing pulmonary blood flow is crucial for understanding pediatric cardiopulmonary health.
- Previous methods for measuring pulmonary blood flow in children have limitations.
- Establishing normative data for pulmonary blood flow in healthy children is essential for diagnosing cardiorespiratory diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure effective pulmonary blood flow in a cohort of healthy children aged 5-14 years.
- To establish normative values for effective pulmonary blood flow index in this pediatric population.
- To explore correlations between pulmonary blood flow and anthropometric/lung function parameters.
Main Methods:
- A soluble inert gas uptake method using a gas mixture (10% argon, 3.5% freon-22, 35% oxygen, balance nitrogen) was employed.
- Pulmonary blood flow was measured using a rebreathing technique in 98 healthy children.
- Participants underwent assessments of absolute and dynamic lung volumes and transfer factor for carbon monoxide.
Main Results:
- The mean (SD) effective pulmonary blood flow index was 2.7 (0.31) L/min/m².
- Effective pulmonary blood flow showed significant correlations with height, weight, body surface area, and lung volumes.
- A lesser correlation was observed with hand and foot size.
- The single breath method proved more challenging and variable in smaller children.
Conclusions:
- The study provides normative data for effective pulmonary blood flow index in healthy children aged 5-14 years.
- Pulmonary blood flow is closely related to body size and lung function in children.
- The rebreathing method is a feasible approach for measuring pulmonary blood flow in this age group, though technique may impact results in younger children.
Abstract:
Effective pulmonary blood flow was measured with a soluble inert gas uptake method (10% argon, 3.5% freon-22, 35% oxygen, balance nitrogen) in 98 apparently healthy children aged 5-14 years. None had any evidence of cardiorespiratory disease and all had normal values for absolute and dynamic lung volumes and transfer factor for carbon monoxide. Values of blood flow measured by a rebreathing method correlated reasonably closely with height, weight, body surface area, and lung volumes, and to a lesser extent with hand and foot size. The mean (SD) effective pulmonary blood flow index was 2.7 (0.31) 1 min-1 m-2. Small children found a single breath method of measuring flow more difficult to perform and the results were more variable.