Pulmonary function in long-term survivors of hyaline membrane disease

In order to determine the long-term pulmonary consequences of hyaline membrane disease (HMD), we measured pulmonary function and airway responsiveness to methacholine in 22 survivors of HMD aged 18 to 22 years. Nineteen age-matched control subjects without a history of lung disease or asthma were also studied. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean pulmonary function test results of the control vs the HMD group. The mean N2 delta of the five HMD patients who required assisted ventilation was significantly different from that of the control group. Airway responsiveness to methacholine, as estimated by the dose of methacholine aerosol necessary to provoke a 35 percent fall in SGaw did not differ between the control and HMD groups. In the absence of prematurity, low birth weight (less than 1,500 g), and requirement for positive pressure ventilation, HMD is not associated with an increase in nonspecific airway reactivity or abnormal pulmonary function in adulthood.