• Zhen Wang, Smith Jean, and Thaddeus Bartter.
• Division of Critical Care Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ 08103, USA. wangzhen1369@hotmail.com
• Respiration. 2009 Jan 1; 77 (2): 134-8.

BackgroundDyspnea is prevalent and has a broad differential diagnosis. Difficulty in determining the correct etiology can delay proper treatment. Non-invasively obtained acoustic signals may offer benefit in identifying patients with dyspnea due to obstructive airway disease (OAD).ObjectivesThe aim of this pilot study was to determine whether patients with acute dyspnea due to OAD had distinguishing features when studied with a computerized acoustic-based imaging technique.MethodsRespiratory sounds from patients with dyspnea due to OAD (n = 32) and those with dyspnea not due to OAD (n = 39) were studied and compared with normal controls (n = 16).ResultsIn patients without OAD and in controls, the ratios of peak inspiratory to peak expiratory vibration energy values (peak I/E vibration ratio) were remarkably similar, 6.3 +/- 5.1 and 5.6 +/- 4, respectively. For the OAD patients, the peak I/E vibration ratio was significantly lower at 1.3 +/- 0.04 (p < 0.01). In the patients without OAD and the controls, the ratios of inspiratory time to expiratory time (I/E time ratio) were again similar, 1.0 +/- 0.1 and 0.99 +/- 0.11, respectively. For the OAD patients, the I/E time ratio was significantly lower at 0.72 +/- 0.19 (p < 0.01).ConclusionsThis modality was useful in identifying patients whose dyspnea was due to OAD. The ability to objectively and non-invasively measure these differences may prove clinically useful in distinguishing the operant physiology in patients presenting with acute dyspnea.2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

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