Measurement of airway hyperresponsiveness: new considerations
Open Access
- 1 May 1998
- Vol. 53 (5) , 419-424
- https://doi.org/10.1136/thx.53.5.419
Abstract
The term “airway responsiveness” is preferred when discussing PD20 and PC20 measurements as this is a non-specific term that encompasses the underlying mechanisms that may be responsible for differences in these measurements either between individuals or within an individual over time2. This is best illustrated in fig 1 where it can be seen that a decrease in PC20 may be due to a steeper dose-response curve (hyperreactivity) or to a shift in the curve to the left (hypersensitivity), or both. Thus, when an individual displays a decreased PC20 it is usually not known whether this is due to hyperreactivity or hypersensitivity although it is certainly one, the other, or both—all of which are covered by the term airway “hyperresponsiveness”.Keywords
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