Relazione tra esame obiettivo del torace e tests funzionali respiratori

To evaluate the relationship among adventitious lungsounds, reduction of normal breath sound, hyperphonesisand impairment of lung function tests, 145 patients weresubmitted to an accurate chest examination and to lungfunction tests (static and dynamic spirometry, airway resistance,intrathoracic gas volume). 118 patients were affectedby chronic bronchitis or emphysema or bronchial asthma, 27,had other lung dlseases. The most frequent findings were:reduction or absence of normal breath sound (66%), hyperphonesis(42%), expiratory wheeze (42%).% predicted meanvalues were 50±27% for FEV, and 131±34%for RVIT!-C.Sig-nificantly different lung function tests were found by varianceanalysis according to presence of objective findings (inparticular, reduction ot normal breath sound, hyperphonesis,PAROLE CHIAVEprolonged expiration and expiratory wheeze). The Chisquare test demonstrated that inspiratory musical sounds,reduction of normal breath sound and hyperphonesis weresignificantly related among themselves by Chi square test. Acombined analysis of expiratory wheeze and reduction ofnormal breath sound showed that functional respiratory indiceswere significantly different in the various categories:FEV, was 39% in patients with ali the forementioned signsand 72% in patients with no sign.The corresponding RVITLCvalues were 139 and 108%.Ourstudy suggests that there is a good association betweenlung function tests and chest èxamination. The usefulnessof a detailed study of these findings with a computerizedspectral analysis is mentioned.