The relationship between crackle characteristics
and airway morphology in COPD
The relationship between crackle characteristics
and airway morphology in COPD
BACKGROUND: Crackles in COPD are believed to be generated by the re-opening of collapsed airways, which result from chronic inflammation, secretions, and loss of cartilaginous support through inflammation. However, it is unclear whether crackle characteristics can be used to identify COPD. This is the first study to examine the relationship between specific added lung sounds (crackles) and measurements of conductive airways and emphysema score obtained from highresolution computed tomography (HRCT) in vivo in humans. A predictive relationship might permit the use of lung sounds as a biomarker for COPD.
METHODS: A convenience sample of 26 subjects was recruited into the study and consisted of 9 healthy non-smokers, 9 healthy smokers, and 8 subjects with mild or moderate COPD. Lung sound data were recorded using a digital stethoscope connected to a laptop computer. Airway diameter, emphysema score, and percentage of wall area were measured from HRCT scans.
RESULTS: The analysis showed that there were no statistically significant differences in crackle characteristics (the number of crackles per breathing cycle and crackle 2-cycle duration) between the 3 subject groups. Both crackle 2-cycle duration and crackle number showed some significant correlation with airway parameters at some branch generations, but due to the large number of correlations performed, these were consistent with chance findings.
CONCLUSIONS: Although there were some significant correlations between crackle characteristics and measurements of the conductive airways and emphysema score, the possibility that these correlations have occurred by chance cannot be ruled out. Therefore, this study provides no conclusive evidence that crackle characteristics are related to HRCT variables in COPD.
breathing sounds, crackles, lung sounds, copd, cross-sectional anatomy, tomography, x-ray computed, imaging, 3-dimensional background
412-421
Bennett, Surussawadi
7e08834c-c0d8-4ca3-9b90-a0878662528b
Bruton, Anne
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Barney, Anna
bc0ee7f7-517a-4154-ab7d-57270de3e815
Havelock, Tom
8f9aa3be-a768-4a7b-bcd4-79656e2b188c
Bennett, Michael
6df5585a-3d93-4870-8797-389759fc82c7
1 March 2015
Bennett, Surussawadi
7e08834c-c0d8-4ca3-9b90-a0878662528b
Bruton, Anne
9f8b6076-6558-4d99-b7c8-72b03796ed95
Barney, Anna
bc0ee7f7-517a-4154-ab7d-57270de3e815
Havelock, Tom
8f9aa3be-a768-4a7b-bcd4-79656e2b188c
Bennett, Michael
6df5585a-3d93-4870-8797-389759fc82c7
Bennett, Surussawadi, Bruton, Anne, Barney, Anna, Havelock, Tom and Bennett, Michael
(2015)
The relationship between crackle characteristics
and airway morphology in COPD.
Respiratory Care, 60 (3), .
(doi:10.4187/respcare.03543).
(PMID:25425707)
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Crackles in COPD are believed to be generated by the re-opening of collapsed airways, which result from chronic inflammation, secretions, and loss of cartilaginous support through inflammation. However, it is unclear whether crackle characteristics can be used to identify COPD. This is the first study to examine the relationship between specific added lung sounds (crackles) and measurements of conductive airways and emphysema score obtained from highresolution computed tomography (HRCT) in vivo in humans. A predictive relationship might permit the use of lung sounds as a biomarker for COPD.
METHODS: A convenience sample of 26 subjects was recruited into the study and consisted of 9 healthy non-smokers, 9 healthy smokers, and 8 subjects with mild or moderate COPD. Lung sound data were recorded using a digital stethoscope connected to a laptop computer. Airway diameter, emphysema score, and percentage of wall area were measured from HRCT scans.
RESULTS: The analysis showed that there were no statistically significant differences in crackle characteristics (the number of crackles per breathing cycle and crackle 2-cycle duration) between the 3 subject groups. Both crackle 2-cycle duration and crackle number showed some significant correlation with airway parameters at some branch generations, but due to the large number of correlations performed, these were consistent with chance findings.
CONCLUSIONS: Although there were some significant correlations between crackle characteristics and measurements of the conductive airways and emphysema score, the possibility that these correlations have occurred by chance cannot be ruled out. Therefore, this study provides no conclusive evidence that crackle characteristics are related to HRCT variables in COPD.
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e-pub ahead of print date: 25 November 2014
Published date: 1 March 2015
Keywords:
breathing sounds, crackles, lung sounds, copd, cross-sectional anatomy, tomography, x-ray computed, imaging, 3-dimensional background
Organisations:
Signal Processing & Control Grp
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 374231
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/374231
ISSN: 0020-1324
PURE UUID: 1d53c9d7-a259-4b90-91ab-929c118969c8
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Date deposited: 10 Feb 2015 14:14
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:59
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Author:
Surussawadi Bennett
Author:
Anne Bruton
Author:
Tom Havelock
Author:
Michael Bennett
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