Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2025
Conducting Respiratory Oscillometry in an Outpatient Setting
Published on: April 8, 2022
Associations of small airway dysfunction assessed by impulse oscillometry with lung function decline and
Lifei Lu1, Fan Wu1, Gaoying Tang1
1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Introduction:
Small airway dysfunction (SAD) assessed by impulse oscillometry (IOS) was common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, little is known about the associations between IOS-defined small airway dysfunction (SAD) and the long-term prognosis of COPD. This study aimed to explore the associations between IOS-defined SAD, lung function decline and exacerbations in patients with COPD.
Methods:
We analyzed baseline and 2-year follow-up data from the prospective cohort study in China. We defined SAD using IOS parameters Z-score greater than the 1.645 or less than -1.645. Subsequently, these patients were divided into three groups based on the different criteria defined SAD using IOS (normal group [none IOS parameters abnormalities], inconsistent SAD [any IOS parameters abnormalities, but not all], consistent SAD [all of IOS parameters abnormalities]). Negative binomial regression was conducted to analyze the associations between SAD and exacerbations, while a multivariable linear regression model was utilized to identify associations between SAD and lung function decline.
Results:
833 patients with COPD were enrolled in our study. SAD (defined by X5, AX, and Fres z-score) was associated with a faster decline in lung function and higher risk of exacerbation. Meanwhile, for inconsistent diagnosis of SAD, we observed that patients with consistent SAD and inconsistent SAD experienced a faster decline in FEV1 and higher risk of exacerbations than those with normal group.
Conclusions:
IOS-defined SAD was associated with worse outcomes in patients with COPD, and further clinical trials are needed to clarify whether early intervention to reduce the severity of small airway lesions can delay the progress of COPD.
Trial Registration:
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1900024643. Registered on 19 July 2019.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History
01:20COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...
01:20Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation
01:22Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...
01:20Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction
01:47Lung Capacity