Respiratory medicine
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Respiratory medicine · Apr 1994
Comparative StudyAirways resistance and lung volume before and after bronchodilator therapy in symptomatic preterm infants.
Preterm infants who are symptomatic at follow-up frequently have a high airways resistance (RAW) and a low functional residual capacity to thoracic gas volume ratio (FRC:TGV). The aim of this study was to assess the effect of bronchodilator therapy on these lung function abnormalities. Thirty-four infants who had recurrent respiratory symptoms and a median gestational age 28 weeks, were studied at a median postnatal age of 10 months (range 6-20). ⋯ All measurements were made immediately before and 15 min after nebulized salbutamol. Administration of nebulized salbutamol was associated with a reduction of RAW (P < 0.001) and an increase in SGAW (P < 0.001), FRC (P < 0.001). These effects on lung function were independent of postnatal age.