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Airway resistance is not constant. As shown above airway resistance is markedly affected by changes in the diameter of the airways. Therefore, diseases affecting the respiratory tract can increase airway resistance. Airway resistance can also change over time. During an asthma attack the airways constrict causing an increase in airway resistance.
Lung compliance, or pulmonary compliance, is a measure of the lung's ability to stretch and expand (distensibility of elastic tissue). In clinical practice it is separated into two different measurements, static compliance and dynamic compliance. Static lung compliance is the change in volume for any given applied pressure. [1]
Airway resistance Lung compliance is influenced by a variety of primary abnormalities of lung parenchyma , both chronic and acute. Chest wall compliance can be decreased by fixed abnormalities (e.g. kyphoscoliosis , morbid obesity ) or more variable problems driven by patient agitation while intubated.
Another important parameter, which can be calculated with a body plethysmograph is the airway resistance. During inhalation the chest expands, which increases the pressure within the box. While observing the so-called resistance loop (cabin pressure and flow), diseases can easily be recognized.
Measurement of PEFR requires training to correctly use a meter and the normal expected value depends on the patient's sex, age, and height. It is classically reduced in obstructive lung disorders such as asthma. Due to the wide range of 'normal' values and the high degree of variability, peak flow is not the recommended test to identify asthma.
Impulse oscillometry (IOS), also known as respiratory oscillometry, forced oscillatory technique (FOT), or just oscillometry, is a non-invasive lung function test that measures the mechanical properties of the respiratory system, particularly the upper and intrathoracic airways, lung tissue and chest wall, usually during the patient's tidal breathing (the way someone breathes when they are ...
Measuring pulmonary mechanics assesses the ability of the lungs to move huge volumes of air quickly through the airways to identify airway obstruction. [ citation needed ] The measurements taken by the spirometry device are used to generate a pneumotachograph that can help to assess lung conditions such as: asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic ...
is the resistance (atkinsons), is the rate of flow of air (thousands of cubic feet per second). One atkinson is defined as the resistance of an airway which, when air flows along it at a rate of 1,000 cubic feet per second, causes a pressure drop of one pound-force per square foot.