November/December 2009

Notes from the Section

• The AARC INTERNATIONAL RESPIRATORY CONGRESS is coming up Dec. 5–8, and we’d like to invite all of our section members who are planning to attend to come to the section business meeting on Monday from 2:45–3:10 p.m.
• The Fall edition of our Section Bulletin is ONLINE now—take a few moments to read a great article on quality assurance in the PFT lab, with a focus on the difference between QC and QA.

Diagnosing Pulmonary Restriction in the Elderly
Italian researchers publishing in the Sept. 30 Epub edition of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society find a reduction in FVC below the lower limit of normal is not a reliable measure of pulmonary restriction in the elderly. However, normal FVC does exclude pulmonary restriction regardless of the presence of bronchial obstruction when the a priori probability is low or moderately high. The study was carried out among 564 people age 65 to 96 who were either ambulatory or in the hospital. READ ABSTRACT

MRI Scan for the Lungs
British researchers are developing a new type of MRI scan in which people will inhale Xenon 129, a gas that shows up clearly on an MRI scan, providing a detailed picture of the lungs, including damaged and healthy areas. The new scan will also show the gas being absorbed into the bloodstream, allowing health professionals to see how different parts of the lungs are transferring oxygen. The developers believe the scans will be useful in guiding treatment for lung conditions. They may also assist surgeons as they perform lung reduction operations. READ ARTICLE

Study Looks at Usefulness of FeNO
A new study out of the University of Cincinnati suggests fractionated exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is mainly useful as an adjunctive tool in the assessment of asthma in patients with mild disease who have never used inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). The investigators reached that conclusion after looking at results from a U.S. study involving 100 patients and a Spanish study involving 109 patients. Results from both showed mean FeNO levels decreased as asthma control categories increased. A statistically significant negative correlation between the Asthma Control Test and FeNO was seen in the Spanish patients who were not treated with inhaled corticosteroids. The report appeared in the November issue of the Journal of Asthma. READ ABSTRACT

Long-term Gas Exchange Characteristics Linked to CFTR Genotypes
Researchers who examined the long-term course of blood gas measurements in relation to characteristics of lung function, along with the influence of different CFTR genotypes, find different lung function patterns are closely related to specific genotypes. The study was carried out in 164 children with cystic fibrosis who ranged in age from 5 to 18. Specifically:

• PaO2 decreased linearly from age 5 to 18 years, and was mainly associated with FRCpleth, FEV1, FEF50, and LCI, indicating that oxygenation was associated with the degree of pulmonary hyperinflation, ventilation inhomogeneities, and impeded airway function.
• PaCO2 showed a transitory phase of low PaCO2 values, mainly during the age range of 5 to 12 years.
• Both PaO2 and PaCO2 presented with different progression slopes within specific CFTR genotypes.

The study was published in the Nov. 12 Epub edition of Respiratory Research. READ ABSTRACT