CLINICAL EVALUATION OF BRONCHOSPIROMETRY - WITTH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO POSTURE AND EXERCISE

Abstract

Bronchospirometry was carried out in4cases in the lateral as well as in the supine position. In the lateral position the patient was examined first during rest and, after this, during light work. Both the relative oxygen uptake and the relative ventilation in all of these cases in-creased in the lower lung on transition to the lateral position. During work in the lateral position the share of the lower lung in the oxygen uptake diminished again and approached the uptake for the supine position during rest; and this despite the fact that, in 3 of the cases, the relative ventilation at the same time further increased in the lung in question. In one patient with pulmonary hypertension, on the other hand, it was not possible with bronchospirometry to show any position-conditioned changes in the oxygen uptake. These observations support the assumption that hydrostatic factors play a main role in the increase of the oxygen uptake in the lower lung on transition from the supine to the lateral position. Bronchospirometry in different body positions seems only to give extra information on the conditions obtaining during rest, not additional information on the distribution of the oxygen uptake reserves.