COMPARISON OF DYNAMIC VENTILATOR FUNCTIONS BY SPIROMETRY IN KASHMIRI ADULTS WITH UPPER AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION BEFORE AND AFTER SURGERY
Upper airway obstruction is a common cause of postoperative hypoxemia and can be induced by a variety of drugs administered during general anaesthesia.Pulmonary function testing (PFT) is often used in clinical medicine for evaluating respiratory symptoms such as dyspnoea and cough, for stratifying preoperative risk, and for diagnosing common diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The aim and objectives of this study were the comparison of dynamic ventilator functions by spirometry in Kashmiri adults with upper airway obstruction before and after surgery. The present study was carried on 100 Kashmiri patients who were admitted in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of SMHS Hospital Srinagar as cases of upper respiratory obstruction for surgical intervention. The subjects were selected after taking detailed history and thorough clinical examination,to exclude those with contraindications. The pulmonary function tests were carried out with the help of the Medispiror and Medikro Electronic Spirometers. Three readings were taken for each test one day before and ten weeks after the surgical procedure; the best of three readings of each test was incorporated in the study with the apparatus making BPTS corrections automatically. The tests were carried out between 170 and 400 C as recommended by the 1987 ATS Update. All the parameters of pulmonary function tests showed an improvement after surgery and that the mean improvement in all the parameters was significant with highest improved values in maximal inspiratory and expiratory flow rates(MMIF/MMEF) ratio. Since all the parameters showed an improvement after surgery,it is thus recommended that all patients of upper respiratory obstruction should be evaluated by pulmonary function tests before surgery for, correct diagnosis of the lesion; assessing the severity of the lesion, and explaining the likely outcome/improvement of the procedure to the patient.