Pulmonary Function Tests in Emergency Department Pediatric Patients with Acute Wheezing/Asthma Exacerbation

Table 2

Summarized and statistical data for pulmonary function tests (PFT).

	Predicted mean (SEM)	Admitted (𝑛=14) mean (SD)	Discharged (𝑛=24) mean (SD)	^*𝑃 value
LBI	1.01 (0.01)	1.27 (0.10)	1.08 (0.05)	0.04
Phase angle (°)	15.7 (4.0)	55.5 (43.1)	35.2 (28.3)	0.04
PhRTB (%)	10.1 (1.8)	32.4 (12.1)	28.5 (12.1)	0.17
Asthma score**	n/a	4.3 (0.9)	3.1 (1.5)	0.005
	Predicted average (Range)	Admitted (𝑛=14) mean (SD)	Discharged (𝑛=23) mean (SD)	^*𝑃 value
ETCO2 (mmHG)	40 (35–45)	34.1 (4.5)	35.2 (3.7)	0.2
Tidal volume (mL/kg)	9 (7–10)	4.7 (1.8)^ξ	4.6 (2.0)^ξ	0.43
Minute ventilation (L)	7 (5–8)	3.9 (1.2)	4.1 (1.5)	0.3
𝑡PTEF/𝑡𝐸	0.41 (0.05)	0.21 (0.09)	0.20 (0.08)	0.36
𝑉PTEF/𝑉𝐸	n/a	1.01 (0.25)	1.0 (0.10)	0.44

LBI: labored breathing index; PhRTB: phase relation during total breath; ETCO₂: end-tidal CO₂; 𝑡_PTEF: time to peak tidal expiratory flow; 𝑡_𝐸: total expiratory time; 𝑉_PTEF: volume at peak tidal expiratory flow; 𝑉_𝐸: expired tidal volume. ^*𝑃 value comparing the admitted versus discharged patients; one-tailed 𝑡-test. **𝑃 value comparing the admitted versus discharged patients; two-tailed t-test (𝑃<0.01). ^ξ𝑃 value comparing admitted and discharged patients to predicted controls; two-tailed 𝑡-test, (𝑃<0.001). Predicted values based on known healthy controls (12,15).