Clinical Experience with a New Test of Pulmonary Function

¹ Cardiopulmonary Laboratory, Grasslands Hospital, Valhalla, N.Y.

One hundred consecutive adult patients referred for cardiac or pulmonary evaluation were studied by routine pulmonary function tests as well as by a new test of pulmonary function. The new test has the advantage that no special ventilatory maneuvers are required of the subject. The subject merely breathes quietly into the device. The device measures total respiratory resistance. This correlated quite well (r = 0.88) with airway resistance as measured by body plethysmography. The incidence of positive findings with this technique in subjects with ventilatory abnormality compares favorably with other tests of ventilatory function. The test should prove useful in survey work and in testing sick, debilitated and disinterested subjects.