Airway turbulence and changes in upper airway hydraulic diameter can be estimated from the intensity of high frequency inspiratory sounds in sleeping adults.

Obstructive sleep disordered breathing can cause death and significant morbidity in adults and children. We previously found that children with smaller upper airways (measured by magnetic resonance imaging while awake) generated loud high frequency inspiratory sounds (HFIS, defined as inspiratory sounds > 2 kHz) while they slept. The purpose of this study was (1) to determine what characteristics of airflow predicted HFIS intensity, and (b) to determine if we could calculate changes in hydraulic diameter (D) in both an in vitro model and in the upper airways of sleeping humans. In an in vitro model, high frequency sound intensity was an estimate of airflow turbulence as reflected by the Reynold's number (Re). D of the in vitro model was calculated using Re, the pressure gradient, Swamee-Jain formula and Darcy formula. D was proportional to but smaller than the actual diameters (r(2) = 0.94). In humans, we measured HFIS intensity and the pressure gradient across the upper airway (estimated with oesophageal pressure, Pes) during polysomnography in four adult volunteers and applied the same formulae to calculate D. At apnoea termination when the airway opens, we observed (1) an increase in HFIS intensity suggesting an increase in turbulence (higher Re), and (2) a larger calculated D. This method allows dynamic estimation of changes in relative upper airway hydraulic diameter (D) in sleeping humans with narrowed upper airways.