Reference values of interrupter respiratory resistance in healthy preschool white children.

BACKGROUND: Interrupter respiratory resistance (Rint) is reported to be useful in evaluating lung function in poorly collaborating patients. However, no reference values are available from large samples of preschool children using the standard interrupter method. The aim of this study was to define reference Rint values in a population of healthy preschool children. METHODS: Rint was assessed without supporting the cheeks in children with no history of wheeze from six kindergartens. To evaluate the effects of upper airway compliance on Rint in healthy children, an additional group of preschool children with either no history of wheeze or no respiratory symptoms at the time of testing underwent Rint measurements in our lung function laboratory with and without supporting the cheeks. Short term (about 1 minute apart) and long term (mean 2.5 months apart) repeatability of Rint measurements (2 SDs of the mean paired difference between measurements) was also assessed in children referred for cough or wheeze. RESULTS: A total of 284 healthy white children (age range 3.0-6.4 years) were evaluated. Mean inspiratory and expiratory Rint (RintI and RintE) did not differ significantly in boys and girls. Age, height, and weight showed a significant inverse correlation with both RintI and RintE in the univariate analysis with linear regression. Multiple regression with age, height, and weight as the independent variables showed that all three variables were significantly and independently correlated with RintI, whereas only height was significantly and independently correlated with RintE. Supporting the cheeks had no significant effect on RintI (n=29, median 0.673 v 0.660 kPa/l.s, p=0.098) or RintE (n=39, median 0.702 v 0.713 kPa/l.s, p=0.126). Short term repeatability was 0.202 kPa/l.s for RintI (n=50) and 0.242 kPa/l.s for RintE (n=69). Long term repeatability was 0.208 kPa/l.s for RintE (n=26). CONCLUSIONS: We have reported reference Rint values in preschool white children and have demonstrated the usefulness of this technique in assessing lung function in this age group.

[Adolescent sexual behavior and sexually transmitted diseases (STD). A preliminary study]. / II comportamento sessuale dell'adolescente e le malattie sessualmente trasmesse (MST). Indagine preliminare.

Great changes have occurred in the adolescent behaviour in the last twenty years; this has caused a great increase in the number of the transmitted by sexual intercourse diseases. These, along with the adolescent habits changing, have so widely spread among young people, that one third of the recorded case are actually referred to this group of age. So, a matter of great social interest, which would require a common effort by the adolescents' families, the teachers and by the adolescents themselves, to be faced in the most proper way, has arisen. But the greatest commitment is asked for to the specialized in infectious diseases pediatricians, who are called to state the best strategy to efficaciously fight adolescents' STD. Pediatricians' specific competence and experience can build up the major security to face the prevention and diagnostic matters and their therapy as well.