Comparison between the measures of thoracoabdominal cirtometry in supine and standing

Abstract

With the objective to evaluate possible differences in the values obtained in the thoracoabdominal cirtometry in orthostatism compared with the results in supine, 30 subjects with mean age 27.8±4.4 years were evaluated according to the following parameters: anthropometry, pulmonary function test and thocacoabdominal cirtometry. Shapiro-Wilk test was used to verify data normality and the t test was performed in order to compare the thoracoabdominal cirtometry measurements in supine and in orthostatism positions. There were no significant differences in axillar and xiphoid mobility between measurements obtained in supine and orthostatism. The abdominal mobility measured in orthostatism (2.54±1.39 cm) was significantly lower (34.35%) when compared to the mobility obtained in supine (3.71±1.78 cm; p<0.001). The thoracic cirtometry can be performed in orthostatism as an alternative for the evaluation of patients with orthopnea. The abdominal cirtometry can also be performed in this posture, with the expected one-third reduction in the abdominal mobility obtained in supine.