Pediatric research
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Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are at increased risk of inspiratory muscle fatigue and respiratory failure. The time constant (τ) of the inspiratory muscle relaxation is a simple bedside test of muscle fatigue. We have compared patients with CF and healthy controls regarding τ and hypothesized that it is negatively associated with severity of lower airway obstruction. ⋯ Patients with CF have higher τ than healthy controls but the correlation of τ with expiratory flow function is modest.