Multiple-breath washout (MBW) tests, with end-expiratory lung volume at functional residual capacity (FRC) and 90% O(2), 5% He, and 5% SF(6) as an inspired gas mixture, were performed in healthy volunteers in supine and prone postures. The semilog plot of MBW N(2) concentrations was evaluated in terms of its curvilinearity. The MBW N(2) normalized slope analysis yielded indexes of acinar and co...

We have examined the effect of the fractional concentration of nitrogen (FIN2) on the decrease in lung volumes which occurs during restricted breathing with oxygen-nitrogen mixtures. Conscious human subjects breathed one of five gas mixtures of oxygen and nitrogen for 15 min on each of five occasions. For the final 5 min of each 15-min period, functional residual capacity (FRC) was reduced by o...

The helium dilution technique for the measurement of functional residual capacity (FRC) is reviewed with special reference to anaesthesia. A modification is described which permits measurements to be made during intermittent positive pressure ventilation. This modification causes minimal interference with the circuit as it is used for spontaneous respiration. The measuring circuit may be altern...

We developed a technique of diaphragm imaging by using spiral computed tomography, and we studied four normal subjects who had been previously investigated with magnetic resonance imaging (A. P. Gauthier, S. Verbanck, M. Estenne, C. Segebarth, P. T. Macklem, and M. Paiva. J. Appl. Physiol. 76: 495-506, 1994). One acquisition of 15- to 25-s duration was performed at residual volume, functional r...

Functional residual capacity has been measured by helium dilution in 26 spontaneously breathing patients before and immediately after anaesthesia, which was induced with thiopentone and maintained with halothane. The mean reduction was 390 ml (16.1% or pre-induction value) and the change was highly significant (P less than 0.001). The decrease in FRC correlated with age (r equals 0.41: P less t...

One hundred and one children with cystic fibrosis had detailed studies of the vectorcardiograms and pulmonary function tests. The vectorcardiographic diagnoses were (1) right ventricular hypertrophy (14 patients), (2) right ventricular hypertrophv plus abnormally posterior vector (24 patients), (3) abnormally posterior vector (26 patients), (4) low voltage (nine patients), and (5) tracing withi...

OBJECTIVES (1) To analyze whether functional capacity (FC) of sick listed workers with chronic nonspecific musculoskeletal pain (CMP) referred for rehabilitation (SL-Rehab group) and workers with CMP who stay at work (SAW group) differ from the FC of healthy workers (HW group). (2) To analyze if FC of workers with CMP is insufficient to meet work demands, and to assess factors associated with i...

The bronchodilator response after four different modes of inhalation of 0.25 mg terbutaline from a Turbuhaler was assessed, in a double-blind cross-over study, of 14 asthmatic children aged 8-14 yrs (mean 11.6 yrs). The children inhaled as fast as possible (mean peak inspiratory flow rate = 53 l.min-1), because fast inhalations have been found to be more efficient than slow inhalations when the...

RATIONALE To evaluate the appropriateness of spirometric and plethysmographic reference equations in healthy young children according to ethnic origin. METHODS Spirometry data were collated in 400 healthy children (214 Black and 186 White) aged 6-12 years. Of these children, 68 Black and 115 White children also undertook plethysmography. Results were expressed as percent predicted according t...

PURPOSE This study was performed to identify the predictive factors of functional capacity assessed by the Spanish University of California Performance Skills Assessment (Sp-UPSA) and real-world functioning assessed by the Spanish Personal and Social Performance scale (PSP) in outpatients with schizophrenia. METHODS Naturalistic, 6-month follow-up, multicentre, validation study. Here, we repo...