Tuberc Respir Dis.  1990 Mar;37(1):21-28. 10.4046/trd.1990.37.1.21.

Changes of the Carbon Monoxide Diffusing Capacity in Complicated Pneumoconiosis

• KMID: 2528507
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1990.37.1.21

Abstract

In order to assess the changes of CO diffusing capacity in complicated pneumoconiosis, pulmonary function tests were carried out. The tests include vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, residual volume, total lung capacity and CO diffusing capacity. Control group was 38 healthy male persons and experimental group was devided into category A (1 3 cases), category B (24 cases) and category C (21 cases) according to the international classificaton of radiographs of pneumoconioses. The results were as follows: 1) Vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second and CO diffusing capacity were significantly decreased in all experimental group compared with the control. 2) CO diffusing capacity was also significantly reduced in category C than in category A and B. 3) Although vital capacity expressed in percentage of the predicted value was more than 80%, CO diffusing capacity was significantly decreased in the experimental group compared with the control. 4) Percentage of CO diffusing capacity to the predicted value was significantly decreased in all experimental group whose forced expiratory volume in one second was more than 70% of predicted value.