An alternative method to measure the diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide in infants

摘要

BackgroundLung diffusion assessed by the uptake of carbon monoxide (DLCO) and alveolar volume (V-A) by inert gas dilution are readily assessed in cooperative older subjects; however, obtaining these measurements in infants has been much more difficult. Our laboratory has measured DLCO and V-A in sleeping infants using a mass spectrometer, which continuously measures gas concentrations, and demonstrated that infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) have lower DLCO, but no difference in V-A compared to full-term controls. The mass spectrometer is expensive and lacks portability; therefore, we evaluated whether measurement of end-expiratory alveolar gas concentrations using a gas chromatograph would provide an alternative approach.