Pulse oximetry coupled with spirometry in the emergency department helps differentiate an asthma exacerbation from possible vocal cord dysfunction.

Purpose: Spirometry performed by adolescents with refractory wheeze or stridor and respiratory distress, with normal room air oxygen saturation, may differentiate subjects not having an acute asthma exacerbation (AE-) from those who are (AE+). A subpopulation may also be identified that has flow volume loop (FVL) patterns consistent with vocal cord dysfunction (VCD).

Methods: Spirometry was performed by adolescents who presented to a pediatric emergency department (ED) with respiratory distress attributed to an acute AE who, after therapy, were still symptomatic and had room air oxygen saturation > or = 97%.

Radiographically occult congenital lobar emphysema presenting as unexplained neonatal tachypnea.

Congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) is usually diagnosed in the newborn period in an infant with respiratory difficulties and classic X-ray film findings. We describe a neonate with tachypnea of unclear etiology who was diagnosed with CLE by chest computed tomography scan, despite a plain chest radiograph that did not suggest the diagnosis.

Wisconsin cystic fibrosis chest radiograph scoring system: validation and standardization for application to longitudinal studies.

This study was designed to achieve a final modeling, validation, and standardization plan for the Wisconsin cystic fibrosis (CF) chest radiographic scoring system. Sixty chest radiographs were selected to reflect a range of severity of lung pathology in children with CF. Seven experienced volunteer raters (three radiologists and four pediatric pulmonologists) from five institutions were recruited to evaluate and score the films.

Suspected respiratory tract infection in the tracheostomized child: the pediatric pulmonologist's approach.

Study Objectives: It is difficult to determine, in the child with a long-term tracheostomy, when bacterial airway colonization has progressed to a respiratory infection requiring antibiotic treatment. Our aim was to investigate whether there is a consensus regarding this and related chronic care issues among clinicians treating these patients.

Design And Setting: A questionnaire asking about practices regarding use of tracheal aspirate cultures and antibiotics was distributed to 47 pediatric pulmonary centers.