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Assessment of upper airway obstruction by pulmonary function testing
Summary
The FEF 50%/FIF 50% ratio is the best indicator for diagnosing upper airway obstruction (UAO). Other parameters like FEV1/PEFR also help identify UAO, with improvements seen after surgery.
Area of Science:
- Respiratory Medicine
- Pulmonary Physiology
Background:
- Upper airway obstruction (UAO) presents diagnostic challenges.
- Accurate identification of UAO is crucial for effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify reliable pulmonary function parameters for diagnosing UAO.
- To evaluate the sensitivity of various parameters in detecting extrathoracic UAO.
Main Methods:
- Pulmonary function tests were performed on 25 UAO patients and 10 controls using the Gould System-21.
- Lesions were confirmed via fiberoptic bronchoscopy or laryngoscopy.
- Analysis of parameters including FEF 50%/FIF 50% ratio, FEV1/PEFR, FEV1 0.5, and FIF 50%.
Main Results:
- FEF 50%/FIF 50% ratio > 1 was the most significant indicator for fixed and variable extrathoracic UAO (p < 0.02).
- FEV1/PEFR > 10 ml/Litre/min was the second best parameter (p < 0.001).
- FEV1 0.5 ≤ 1.5 and FIF 50% < 100 Lit/min were also suggestive of UAO.
Conclusions:
- The FEF 50%/FIF 50% ratio is a highly effective diagnostic tool for extrathoracic UAO.
- Pulmonary function parameters can aid in UAO diagnosis, with normalization observed post-surgical intervention.