What does air trapping mean?

Air trapping in chest imaging refers to retention of excess gas (“air”) in all or part of the lung, especially during expiration, either as a result of complete or partial airway obstruction or as a result of local abnormalities in pulmonary compliance.

What is air trapping on a pulmonary function test?

Air trapping tends to precede hyperinflation and refers to an elevated RV in the setting of a normal TLC. When TLC is also elevated above the upper limit of normal, then hyperinflation is present.

What indicates air trapping in COPD?

The measure that could be estimated with the highest reliability was the ratio RV/TLC, an indicator of air trapping highly correlated with hyperinflation in COPD [6, 28].

How do you treat air trapping?

Your doctor may prescribe a type of medicine called a bronchodilator. It can open up your airways and help reverse the effects of hyperinflated lungs by allowing the trapped air to escape. Certain types of exercise might also help.

What causes air trapping?

When found in isolation, chronic bronchitis, asthma, bronchiolitis obliterans, and unspecified small airways disease were the most common causes of air trapping. Unusual conditions causing isolated air trapping included vasculitis and diffuse idiopathic neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia.

What causes air trapped in lungs?

A pneumothorax can be caused by a blunt or penetrating chest injury, certain medical procedures, or damage from underlying lung disease. Or it may occur for no obvious reason. Symptoms usually include sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. On some occasions, a collapsed lung can be a life-threatening event.

Is air trapping serious?

Air trapping represents poorly aerated lung, but on its own is clinically benign.

What causes air trapping in lungs?

Is air trapping in the lungs serious?

What is air trapping in asthma?

Compressive air trapping is airway closure that is more extensive during a forced exhalation than with a slow, passive exhalation. We report that compressive air trapping occurs in most people > 50 yr with asthma, affects men more than women, and persists after bronchodilator treatment.

What is air trapped in lungs called?

A pneumothorax describes the condition in which air has become trapped between a lung and the chest wall. The air usually gets there either from the lungs or from outside the body.