Effect of a Soft Boston Orthosis on pulmonary mechanics in severe cerebral palsy.

Spinal braces such as the Soft Boston Orthosis (SBO) help stabilize scoliosis and improve sitting, positioning, and head control in individuals with cerebral palsy. However, their impact on pulmonary mechanics in this population has not been studied. We examined the effect of a Soft Boston Orthosis on the pulmonary mechanics and gas exchange in 12 children and young adults (5-23 years of age) with severe cerebral palsy.

Chest surface mapping of lung sounds during methacholine challenge.

Wheeze as an indicator of airway obstruction during bronchoprovocation lacks sensitivity. We therefore studied whether induced airway narrowing is revealed by changes in normal (vesicular) lung sounds. Fifteen subjects with asthma and nine healthy controls, aged 8-16 years, performed a standardized methacholine challenge.

The effect of high doses of inhaled salbutamol and ipratropium bromide in patients with stable cystic fibrosis.

The effect of large doses of salbutamol (S) and ipratropium bromide (IB) were tested in a double-blind, randomized, crossover study. Nine patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), aged 12.8 +/- 2 years (mean +/- SE), were studied for 8 h on 2 separate days.

Acute bronchodilator response to a combination of beta-adrenergic and anticholinergic agents in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Patients with cystic fibrosis had a better acute bronchodilator response to albuterol and ipratropium bromide than to either drug alone. Further studies of long-term efficacy and safety seem justified.

Effect of theophylline on lung function tests, sleep quality, and nighttime SaO2 in children with cystic fibrosis.

The effect of theophylline (T) was studied in 12 children with cystic fibrosis (CF) (seven males and five females) aged 7 to 17 yr (mean, 11.8 +/- 2.8).