RESUMO
Disease of the peripheral (or small) airways is fundamental in asthma, being closely related to symptoms (or lack of control of them), airway hyperresponsiveness, spirometric abnormalities, risk of loss of control, or exacerbations and inflammation. Current technology now allows routine measurement of peripheral airway function. Having a working concept of peripheral airways disease in asthma is arguably very useful to clinicians and beneficial to patients because it allows a more comprehensive assessment of asthma severity (rather than just symptoms alone, which is the norm), tracking of progress or deterioration, and assessing response to treatment. Oscillometry is a sensitive way to monitor the peripheral airways, whereas multiple breath nitrogen washout parameters are excellent measures of future risk. In the longer term, physiologic measurements will be crucial in research to define causes and find new disease-modifying treatments.
RESUMO
We must be aware that new respiratory virus pandemic can happen frequently. Standard lung function tests should keep their crucial role to assist the clinicians in the decision-making process, but they are at risk for the spread of infection because of the generated droplets. We used opto-electronic plethysmography to investigate the post-COVID-19 syndrome on 12 patients after ICU. We found normal ventilatory pattern at rest, a restrictive pattern located in the ribcage during vital capacity and surgical mask to significantly increase minute ventilation. The attention on unconventional respiratory function tests should be sponsored for the important information they can provide.