Application of a shortened inhaled adenosine-5'-monophosphate challenge in young children using the forced oscillation technique

Clinical significance and applications of oscillometry

Recently, “Technical standards for respiratory oscillometry” was published, which reviewed the physiological basis of oscillometric measures and detailed the technical factors related to equipment and test performance, quality assurance and reporting of results. Here we present a review of the clinical significance and applications of oscillometry. We briefly review the physiological principles of oscillometry and the basics of oscillometry interpretation, and then describe what is currently known about oscillometry in its role as a sensitive measure of airway resistance, bronchodilator responsiveness and bronchial challenge testing, and response to medical therapy, particularly in asthma and COPD. The technique may have unique advantages in situations where spirometry and other lung function tests are not suitable, such as in infants, neuromuscular disease, sleep apnoea and critical care. Other potential applications include detection of bronchiolitis obliterans, vocal cord dysfunction and the effects of environmental exposures. However, despite great promise as a useful clinical tool, we identify a number of areas in which more evidence of clinical utility is needed before oscillometry becomes routinely used for diagnosing or monitoring respiratory disease.

This paper provides a current review of the interpretation, clinical significance and application of oscillometry in respiratory medicine, with special emphasis on limitations of evidence and suggestions for future research.https://bit.ly/3GQPViA

Identifying bronchoconstriction from the ratio of diaphragm EMG to tidal volume

BACKGROUND

A fall of ≥ 20 % in forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) with a cumulative dose of histamine ≤ 7.8 μmol is considered to indicate bronchial hyperactivity, but no method exists for patients who cannot perform spirometry properly. Here we hypothesized that increases in respiratory central output measured by chest wall electromyography of the diaphragm (EMGdi-c) expressed as a function of tidal volume (EMGdi-c/VT) would have discriminative power to detect a 'positive' challenge test.

METHODS

In a physiological study EMGdi was recorded from esophageal electrode (EMGdi-e) in 16 asthma patients and 16 healthy subjects during a histamine challenge test. In a second study, EMGdi from chest wall surface electrodes (EMGdi-c) was measured during a histamine challenge in 44 asthma patients and 51 healthy subjects. VT was recorded from a digital flowmeter during both studies.

RESULTS

With histamine challenge test the change in EMGdi-e/VT in patients with asthma was significantly higher than that in healthy subjects (104.2 % ± 48.6 % vs 0.03 % ± 17.1 %, p < 0.001). Similarly there was a significant difference in the change of EMGdi-c/VT between patients with asthma and healthy subjects (90.5 % ± 75.5 % vs 2.4 % ± 21.7 %, p < 0.001). At the optimal cut-off point (29 % increase in EMGdi-c/VT), the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for detection of a positive test was 0.91 (p < 0.001) with sensitivity 86 % and specificity 92 %.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that EMGdi-c/VT may be used as an alternative for the assessment of bronchial hypersensitivity and airway reversibility to differentiate patients with asthma from healthy subjects.

The need for physiological phenotyping to develop new drugs for airways disease

Asthma and COPD make up the majority of obstructive airways diseases (OADs), which affects ∼11 % of the population. The main drugs used to treat OADs have not changed in the past five decades, with advancements mainly comprising variations on existing treatments. The recent biologics are beneficial to only specific subsets of patients. Part of this may lie in our inability to adequately characterise the tremendous heterogeneity in every aspect of OAD. The field is currently moving towards the concept of personalised medicine, based on a focus on treatable traits that are objective, measurable and modifiable. We propose extending this concept via the use of emerging clinical tools for comprehensive physiological phenotyping. We describe, based on published data, the evidence for the use of functional imaging, gas washout techniques and oscillometry, as well as potential future applications, to more comprehensively assess and predict treatment response in OADs. In this way, we hope to demonstrate how physiological phenotyping tools will improve the way in which drugs are prescribed, but most importantly, will facilitate development of new drugs for OADs.

Technical standards for respiratory oscillometry

Oscillometry (also known as the forced oscillation technique) measures the mechanical properties of the respiratory system (upper and intrathoracic airways, lung tissue and chest wall) during quiet tidal breathing, by the application of an oscillating pressure signal (input or forcing signal), most commonly at the mouth. With increased clinical and research use, it is critical that all technical details of the hardware design, signal processing and analyses, and testing protocols are transparent and clearly reported to allow standardisation, comparison and replication of clinical and research studies. Because of this need, an update of the 2003 European Respiratory Society (ERS) technical standards document was produced by an ERS task force of experts who are active in clinical oscillometry research.The aim of the task force was to provide technical recommendations regarding oscillometry measurement including hardware, software, testing protocols and quality control.The main changes in this update, compared with the 2003 ERS task force document are 1) new quality control procedures which reflect use of "within-breath" analysis, and methods of handling artefacts; 2) recommendation to disclose signal processing, quality control, artefact handling and breathing protocols (e.g. number and duration of acquisitions) in reports and publications to allow comparability and replication between devices and laboratories; 3) a summary review of new data to support threshold values for bronchodilator and bronchial challenge tests; and 4) updated list of predicted impedance values in adults and children.

Is forced oscillation technique the next respiratory function test of choice in childhood asthma

Respiratory diseases, especially asthma, are common in children. While spirometry contributes to asthma diagnosis and management in older children, it has a limited role in younger children whom are often unable to perform forced expiratory manoeuvre. The development of novel diagnostic methods which require minimal effort, such as forced oscillation technique (FOT) is, therefore, a welcome and promising addition. FOT involves applying external, small amplitude oscillations to the respiratory system during tidal breathing. Therefore, it requires minimal effort and cooperation. The FOT has the potential to facilitate asthma diagnosis and management in pre-school children by faciliting the objective measurement of baseline lung function and airway reactivity in children unable to successfully perform spirometry. Traditionally the use of FOT was limited to specialised centres. However, the availability of commercial equipment resulted in its use both in research and in clinical practice. In this article, we review the available literature on the use of FOT in childhood asthma. The technical aspects of FOT are described followed by a discussion of its practical aspects in the clinical field including the measurement of baseline lung function and associated reference ranges, bronchodilator responsiveness and bronchial hyper-responsiveness. We also highlight the difficulties and limitations that might be encountered and future research directions.

Monitoring asthma in childhood: lung function, bronchial responsiveness and inflammation

This review focuses on the methods available for measuring reversible airways obstruction, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and inflammation as hallmarks of asthma, and their role in monitoring children with asthma. Persistent bronchial obstruction may occur in asymptomatic children and is considered a risk factor for severe asthma episodes and is associated with poor asthma outcome. Annual measurement of forced expiratory volume in 1 s using office based spirometry is considered useful. Other lung function measurements including the assessment of BHR may be reserved for children with possible exercise limitations, poor symptom perception and those not responding to their current treatment or with atypical asthma symptoms, and performed on a higher specialty level. To date, for most methods of measuring lung function there are no proper randomised controlled or large longitudinal studies available to establish their role in asthma management in children. Noninvasive biomarkers for monitoring inflammation in children are available, for example the measurement of exhaled nitric oxide fraction, and the assessment of induced sputum cytology or inflammatory mediators in the exhaled breath condensate. However, their role and usefulness in routine clinical practice to monitor and guide therapy remains unclear, and therefore, their use should be reserved for selected cases.

The Forced Oscillation Technique in Paediatric Respiratory Practice

The Forced Oscillation Technique (FOT) is a lung function modality based on the application of an external oscillatory signal in order to determine the mechanical response of the respiratory system. The method is in principal noninvasive and requires minimal patient cooperation, which makes it suitable for use in young paediatric patients. The FOT has been successfully applied in various paediatric respiratory disorders, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, and chronic lung disease of prematurity, in order to assess airway obstruction, bronchodilator response, and airway responsiveness after bronchoprovocation challenge. This technique may be more sensitive than spirometry in identifying disturbances of peripheral airways and assessing the level of asthma control or the effectiveness of therapy at the long term. Further research is required to determine the exact role of the FOT in paediatric lung function testing and to incorporate the method in specific diagnostic and management algorithms.

An official American Thoracic Society workshop report: optimal lung function tests for monitoring cystic fibrosis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and recurrent wheezing in children less than 6 years of age

Although pulmonary function testing plays a key role in the diagnosis and management of chronic pulmonary conditions in children under 6 years of age, objective physiologic assessment is limited in the clinical care of infants and children less than 6 years old, due to the challenges of measuring lung function in this age range. Ongoing research in lung function testing in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers has resulted in techniques that show promise as safe, feasible, and potentially clinically useful tests. Official American Thoracic Society workshops were convened in 2009 and 2010 to review six lung function tests based on a comprehensive review of the literature (infant raised-volume rapid thoracic compression and plethysmography, preschool spirometry, specific airway resistance, forced oscillation, the interrupter technique, and multiple-breath washout). In these proceedings, the current state of the art for each of these tests is reviewed as it applies to the clinical management of infants and children under 6 years of age with cystic fibrosis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and recurrent wheeze, using a standardized format that allows easy comparison between the measures. Although insufficient evidence exists to recommend incorporation of these tests into the routine diagnostic evaluation and clinical monitoring of infants and young children with cystic fibrosis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or recurrent wheeze, they may be valuable tools with which to address specific concerns, such as ongoing symptoms or monitoring response to treatment, and as outcome measures in clinical research studies.

Respiratory impedance and bronchodilator responsiveness in healthy children aged 2-13 years

BACKGROUND

The forced oscillation technique (FOT) can be used in children as young as 2 years of age and in those unable to perform routine spirometry. There is limited information on changes in FOT outcomes in healthy children beyond the preschool years and the level of bronchodilator responsiveness (BDR) in healthy children. We aimed to create reference ranges for respiratory impedance outcomes collated from multiple centers. Outcomes included respiratory system resistance (R(rs)) and reactance (X(rs)), resonant frequency (Fres), frequency dependence of R(rs) (Fdep), and the area under the reactance curve (AX). We also aimed to define the physiological effects of bronchodilators in a large population of healthy children using the FOT.

METHODS

Respiratory impedance was measured in 760 healthy children, aged 2-13 years, from Australia and Italy. Stepwise linear regression identified anthropometric predictors of transformed R(rs) and X(rs) at 6, 8, and 10 Hz, Fres, Fdep, and AX. Bronchodilator response (BDR) was assessed in 508 children after 200 µg of inhaled salbutamol.

RESULTS

Regression analysis showed that R(rs), X(rs), and AX outcomes were dependent on height and sex. The BDR cut-offs by absolute change in R(rs8), X(rs8), and AX were -2.74 hPa s L(-1), 1.93 hPa s L(-1), and -33 hPa s L(-1), respectively. These corresponded to relative and Z-score changes of -32%; -1.85 for R(rs8), 65%; 1.95 for X(rs8), and -82%; -2.04 for AX.

CONCLUSIONS

We have established generalizable reference ranges for respiratory impedance and defined cut-offs for a positive bronchodilator response using the FOT in healthy children.

Comparison of Reference Values and Short-Term Variability for Oscillatory and Spirometric Lung Function in Healthy Korean Preschool Children

Respiratory function measurements are important in the diagnosis and follow-up assessment of respiratory diseases. The aims of this study were to establish reference values for spirometry, to compare them with respiratory resistance and impedance by an impulse oscillometry system (IOS), and to analyze 3-month follow-up studies in healthy Korean preschool children. Six hundred seven questionnaires were distributed and 497 (82%) were returned. Lung function tests were performed in 183 healthy children of the age of 3-6 years. The 3-month follow-up studies were conducted from 19 children who visited our clinic twice. Of the 183 children who underwent both IOS and spirometry, 164 (90%) and 150 (82%) met the quality-control criteria for IOS and spirometry, respectively. The regression equations of each spirometric parameter were obtained. Height was the most consistently correlated measurement in both boys and girls. All spirometry parameters, except for FEF_25-75/FVC, were significantly correlated with IOS parameters. There were no significant differences in respiratory resistance at 5 Hz measured by IOS (Rrs_IOS5), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁) between the first and second sets. The intraclass correlation coefficients and relative coefficients of repeatability for FEV₁, Rrs_IOS5, and respiratory system reactance (Xrs)_IOS5 were 0.90 (95% CI 0.73-0.96), 0.82 (95% CI 0.53-0.93), and 0.55 (95% CI -0.17-0.83) and 22.6%, 35.5%, and 91.8%, respectively. The obtained values and regression equations provide a reference for Korean preschool children and may be of importance in evaluating lung function of preschool children with pulmonary problems. Respiratory resistance and FEV₁ for healthy young Korean children are lower than literature reported reference values for Caucasian children. Rrs_IOS5 appears to be more stable on repeat testing than Xrs_IOS5.

Spirometry and forced oscillations in the detection of airway hyperreactivity in asthmatic children

BACKGROUND

Provocation tests are routinely used to detect airway hyperreactivity (AH) in the diagnosis of asthma. We compared the sensitivities of the forced oscillation technique (FOT) and spirometry in the detection of AH in asthmatic children.

METHODS

FOT and spirometry were performed in 20 asthmatic children (aged 5-18 years) following aerosolized histamine and methacholine at an interval of 2 weeks. The respiratory system input impedance was measured by FOT; the resistance at 6 Hz (R(6) ), the average resistance between 4 and 24 Hz, the area under the reactance curve (AX) and the resonant frequency were extracted from these recordings. Spirometry was used to obtain forced expiratory volumes and flow parameters.

RESULTS

Following provocation with the two agonists, the FOT detected the airway response as early as spirometry. When the greater variability of the impedance parameters was taken into account, the two methods were observed to have similar sensitivities. Among the lung function parameters studied, AX and R(6) were the most sensitive for the demonstration of AH.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrate that FOT is as suitable as spirometry for the measurement of bronchoconstriction and thus it may be considered for the detection of AH in asthmatic children. Since its application requires minimal cooperation, this approach imposes less stress and may be particularly favorable in the diagnosis of asthma at a young age.

The effect of beclomethasone dipropionate in ultrafine particles on bronchial hyper-reactivity in young children

AIM

Bronchial hyper-reactivity (BHR) provides a tool for asthma diagnosis, assessment of severity and response to treatment. The effect of beclomethasone dipropionate in ultrafine particles (BDP-HFA) on BHR as measured by the adenosine challenge test in young children has not yet been determined. Our aim was to determine the effect of BDP-HFA (100 μg twice daily) on BHR as evaluated by a reduction of 20% from baseline FEV1 (PC20-FEV1) values in young asthmatic children.

METHODS

Twenty-one young children (13 males), mean age 4.95 ± 1.05 years, with partially controlled or controlled asthma completed a double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. Each child received 4 weeks of treatment with either 100 μg BDP-HFA twice daily or placebo, and after a 2-week washout period the other way around. Primary outcomes were PC20-FEV1 concentration, and the stage number at which FEV1 values dropped by 20%.

RESULTS

Following 4 weeks of treatment, median PC20-FEV1 was 81.28 mg/mL while on BDP-HFA, compared with 9.64 mg/mL on placebo (p < 0.001). The median increase in stages required to achieve PC20 on BDP-HFA compared with placebo was three (95% CI 2.28-4.86).

CONCLUSION

Four weeks of treatment with BDP-HFA resulted in significantly decreased BHR in young children.

Clinical investigation of respiratory system admittance in preschool children

INTRODUCTION

The upper airway shunt attenuates measurements of respiratory system impedance (Zrs), with greater impact in young children. Changes in respiratory system admittance, Ars (or Zrs(-1)), are theoretically independent of the shunt. This study compared the ability of Ars, to standard oscillatory outcomes, to determine respiratory disease and differentiate responses to inhaled bronchial challenges in the clinical setting.

METHODS

The forced oscillation technique (FOT) was used to establish reference equations for Ars in healthy preschool children, compare the change in Ars to standard oscillatory outcomes during bronchial challenge with inhaled adenosine-5'-monophosphate (AMP) and to inhaled bronchodilator in healthy children and those with respiratory disease.

RESULTS

Children with respiratory disease had lower baseline Ars than healthy children (P < 0.05). However, there was no improved ability for Ars to differentiate between bronchodilator responses in healthy and disease populations. In contrast, the response to inhaled AMP occurred at a lower concentration, [25 (3.12-400) mg ml(-1); median (10th-90th centile)], as measured by Ars when compared to respiratory system resistance [225 (6.25-400) mg ml(-1); P = 0.016].

CONCLUSION

This study supports the use of Ars during inhaled challenges, but not in response to bronchodilation.

Lung function measurement in the assessment of childhood asthma: recent important developments

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To present three clinically important developments related to the utilization of pulmonary function to objectively assess the asthmatic child.

RECENT FINDINGS

The new asthma guidelines (2007) have added the forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) ratio to the FEV1 as spirometric criteria for classifying asthma. Although a better indicator of airway obstruction, it has not clearly been shown to correlate with clinical criteria. The normal cut point for the ratio used in the guidelines of 85% for children may be too high, and compared to the lower limits of normal of 80%, could result in unnecessary treatment in some children. The bronchodilator response (BDR) phenotype reflects airway lability and has been associated with biomarkers of inflammation and responsiveness to inhaled corticosteroids as well as predicting long-term outcomes. Several studies have shown improved spirometric techniques in preschoolers as well as defining normal values in this age group. Impulse oscillometry (IOS), which is less demanding than spirometry, has been shown to identify asthmatic preschoolers in some cases better than spirometry and possibly identifying obstruction in the peripheral airways. It may also be a more useful test than spirometry in evaluating long-term drug studies.

SUMMARY

In addition to the FEV1/FVC ratio to detect airway obstruction, the BDR phenotype would appear to give important additional information regarding airway lability and inflammation, and should be included as routine spirometry. IOS is a promising test to identify asthmatic preschoolers, but more studies are needed to determine exactly what it measures and what constitutes normal values.

Lung function testing in preschool-aged children with cystic fibrosis in the clinical setting

In cystic fibrosis (CF) lung function testing is a means of monitoring progression of lung disease. The preschool years have often been referred to as the "silent years" due to the previous lack suitable measures of lung function testing in this age group. This review outlines the various techniques of lung function testing in preschool children with CF in the clinical setting. This includes measures requiring tidal breathing including the forced oscillation technique, the interrupter technique, plethysmography, and multiple breath washout, as well as spirometry that requires respiratory maneuvers. We describe the feasibility and variability of different lung function methods used in preschoolers and report measurements made during tidal breathing have greater feasibility, although greater variability compared to spirometry. We also report associations with lung function and markers of CF lung disease. In the preschool age group measurements made during tidal breathing may be more appropriate in the clinic setting than those that require a higher degree of cooperation and specific respiratory maneuvers.maneuvers.