Despite the obvious importance of respiratory tissue elastance in determining the expiratory flow and the rate of CO2 clearance, the role of the respiratory elastic recoil on the capnogram shape has not been examined to date. |
Values lower than 1 suggest a continuous decrease in elastance during lung inflation. |
Also typical of restrictive abnormalities, IPF patients have normal or increased expiratory flows because of increased lung elastance. |
Further studies are needed to determine the impact of acute attacks with respect to aortic elastance. |