RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Oscillometry complements spirometry in evaluation of subjects following toxic inhalation
JF ERJ Open Research
JO erjor
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 00043-2015
DO 10.1183/23120541.00043-2015
VO 1
IS 2
A1 Kenneth I. Berger
A1 Meredith Turetz
A1 Mengling Liu
A1 Yongzhao Shao
A1 Angeliki Kazeros
A1 Sam Parsia
A1 Caralee Caplan-Shaw
A1 Stephen M. Friedman
A1 Carey B. Maslow
A1 Michael Marmor
A1 Roberta M. Goldring
A1 Joan Reibman
YR 2015
UL http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/1/2/00043-2015.abstract
AB The World Trade Center (WTC) destruction released dust and fumes into the environment. Although many community members developed respiratory symptoms, screening spirometry was usually normal. We hypothesised that forced oscillation testing would identify functional abnormalities undetected by spirometry and that symptom severity would relate to magnitude of abnormalities measured by oscillometry.A symptomatic cohort (n=848) from the Bellevue Hospital WTC Environmental Health Center was evaluated and compared to an asymptomatic cohort (n=475) from the New York City Department of Health WTC Health Registry. Spirometry and oscillometry were performed. Oscillometry measurements included resistance (R5) and frequency dependence of resistance (R5−20).Spirometry was normal for the majority of subjects (73.2% symptomatic versus 87.6% asymptomatic, p<0.0001). In subjects with normal spirometry, R5 and R5−20 were higher in symptomatic versus asymptomatic subjects (median (interquartile range) R5 0.436 (0.206) versus 0.314 (0.129) kPa·L−1·s−1, p<0.001; R5−20 0.075 (0.085) versus 0.004 (0.042) kPa·L−1·s−1, p<0.0001). In symptomatic subjects, R5 and R5−20 increased with increasing severity and frequency of wheeze (p<0.05).Measurement of R5–20 correlated with the presence and severity of symptoms even when spirometry was within normal limits. These findings are in accord with small airway abnormalities as a potential explanation of the respiratory symptoms.Small airway dysfunction in a symptomatic population with normal spirometry years after exposure to WTC dust http://ow.ly/TAxxf