Recently, DE Sofer et al(Chest 1984; 86:401-03)suggested that the pulmonary edema ofpatients with upper airway obstruction (UAO) was roentgenologically invisible because of the increase in lung volume befure the reliefofthe obstruction. In Dr. Sofer’s article, as well as in others,’4 objective dates ofincrease in lung volumes are not reported. Research in patients with chronic UAO showed differ...

A boy with subglottic narrowing secondary to laryngotracheitis presented with noisy breathing. Acoustic measurements of tracheal sounds at standardized air flows correlated well with the clinical course and with spirometric assessments. This indicates the potential value of respiratory sound characterization in patients with upper airway obstruction.

A modified nasopharyngeal tube is described that does not add airway dead space and resistance, is well tolerated, highly successful, and allows simultaneous use of oxygen prongs. This potentially reduces the need for surgical intervention to relieve high upper airway obstruction from Pierre-Robin syndrome and other causes.

Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by pharyngeal occlusion due to alterations in upper airway mechanical properties and/or disturbances in neuromuscular control. The objective of the study was to determine the relative contribution of mechanical loads and dynamic neuromuscular responses to pharyngeal collapse during sleep. Sixteen obstructive sleep apnea patients and sixteen normal subjects were...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate postoperative quality of life in patients undergoing microdebrider intracapsular tonsillotomy and adenoidectomy (PITA) in comparison with traditional adenotonsillectomy (AT) and to assess PITA's efficacy in solving upper-airway obstructive symptoms. METHODS 29 children with adenotonsillar hyperplasia referred for AT were included. Patients were divided into two groups: G...

This review presents the evidence that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with significant sinonasal symptoms, inflammation and airway obstruction. Upper airway symptoms in COPD cause impairment to quality of life. The severity of upper airway involvement relates to that present in the lower airway, suggesting that the nose may be used to model the lung in COPD. More imp...

IN THE PRESENT ISSUE of the Journal of Applied Physiology, Younes et al. (10) provide direct support for their hypothesis that “in most OSA [obstructive sleep apnea] patients nonarousal mechanisms are capable of restoring upper airway patency if given the chance.” They show that in up to 40% of cases the genioglossus (GG) muscle can be recruited during obstruction enough to open the airway with...