Airway closure and closing volume.

Using boluses of radioactive Xe we compared regional N2O uptake with regional perfusion distribution during open glottis breath hold in five seated men. Measurements were made near residual volume, at closing volume (CV), above CV and when possible, between CV and residual volume (RV). At low lung volumes basal N2O uptake was small whereas basal blood flow was not. This discrepancy was interpreted as evidence of airway closure and was quantitated. All subjects showed extensive basal closure near RV. At closing volume four of five subjects demonstrated closure and some closure was evident in these subjects at volumes in excess of CV. The increase in airway closure with decreasing lung volume was much greater below CV than above it. Conventional CV tracings were obtained using helium boluses; the height of phase IV was positively correlated with the change in airway closure between CV and RV as assessed by the N2O technique. The slope of phase III did not correlate with the amount of airway closure measured at CV. We concluded that the conventionally measured CV is not the volume at which airway closure begins but that the onset of phase IV reflects an increase in basal airway closure and the height of phase IV reflects the amount of basal closure between CV and RV.