A comparison of interrupter and forced oscillation measurements of respiratory resistance in the dog

Abstract

We compared the values of resistance produced by the forced oscillation technique (FOT) and the flow interruption technique (IT) when applied to six anesthetized paralyzed tracheostomized dogs. The FOT returned values of respiratory system resistance as a function of frequency [Re(f)] between 0.25 and 20 Hz. The IT returned a single value of resistance (Rinit) calculated by dividing the immediate change in tracheal pressure occurring upon interruption by the preinterruption flow. We found Rinit to coincide closely with Re(f) in the frequency range 5–20 Hz. Rinit has previously been interpreted as the high-frequency resistance of a resistance-elastance model of the respiratory system airways and tissues. It has also been shown previously, by direct measurement of alveolar pressure in dogs, that Rinit from the lungs alone is an accurate measure of airways resistance while Rinit obtained from the total respiratory system equals airways resistance plus a modest contribution from the chest wall. Re(f) at a frequency of approximately 10 Hz thus appears to be a useful quantity to measure as an index of airways resistance in the dog.