Chest
Volume 116, Issue 1, July 1999, Pages 231-233
Journal home page for Chest

Opinions/Hypotheses
Small Airways Obstruction Syndrome

https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.116.1.231Get rights and content

Study objectives

To clarify the significance of a functional lung pattern characterized by a decreased vital capacity (VC) and an increased residual volume (RV), but with a normal FEV1/VC ratio.

Setting

A university teaching hospital.

Subjects

Patients with bronchial asthma, pulmonary emphysema, and small airways disease, and older subjects.

Measurements

Measurements of static and dynamic lung volumes, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (as measured by the single-breath method), nitrogen slope of the alveolar plateau, and closing volume (as measured by the single-breath O2 test).

Conclusion

A functional pattern characterized by a decreased VC and FEV1and increased RV, but with a normal FEV1/VC ratio and total lung capacity, reflects an obstructive impairment of small airways.

References (19)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (0)

View full text