Abstract
In the literature of pulmonary medicine we found dismaying diversity of and inconsistency in terms used to describe physiologic pressure gradients. Standardized terms, definitions, symbols, and equations published by the American Physiological Society, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, and the American Association for Respiratory Care have not been consistently used. Rather, researchers have often used their own definitions for transpulmonary pressure, transairway pressure, transthoracic pressure, transrespiratory pressure, and transdiaphragmatic pressure. We describe the variety of definitions and equations we found for those terms. We contend that it would benefit researchers, students, clinicians, and educators to define these terms precisely and use them consistently.
- transpulmonary pressure
- transairway pressure
- transthoracic pressure
- transrespiratory pressure
- transdiaphragmatic pressure
- terminology
- respiratory mechanics/physiology
Footnotes
- Correspondence: David F Wolfe MSEd RRT RPSGT AE-C, Department of Respiratory Therapy Education, College of Health Professions, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, 750 E Adams Street, Syracuse NY 13210-2375. E-mail: wolfed{at}upstate.edu.
The authors report no conflicts of interest related to the content of this paper.
David F Wolfe MSEd RRT RPSGT AE-C presented a version of this paper at the 19th Annual State University of New York Upstate Medical University Charles R Ross Research Poster Session, held November 30, 2005, at the Institute for Human Performance, Syracuse, New York.
- Copyright © 2006 by Daedalus Enterprises Inc.