Lung Diseases: Benefits for Asthma and COPD Patients
Researchers at Newcastle University, UK, have demonstrated, using this method, how air moves through the lungs of patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and those who have undergone lung transplants. This method helps determine the precise status of lung ventilation. This unique scanning method utilises a special gas called perfluoropropane. Patients safely inhale this gas, and an MRI scanner tracks its distribution within the lungs. This technology also reveals which parts of the lungs are improving after treatment.
Detecting Changes Before Blowing Tests
Professor Andrew Fisher of Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University states, “This new scanning technique can detect changes in the lungs that are not visible through conventional blowing tests. This allows for earlier treatment initiation, thereby preventing further lung damage.”Precise Assessment of Ventilation
According to the project lead, Professor Pete Threlfall, this technique accurately assesses lung ventilation. It aids not only in disease diagnosis but also in measuring treatment efficacy. Researchers suggest that this scanning technique could be extensively used in the future for lung transplantation and the clinical management of other lung-related diseases. This method has the potential to significantly impact patients’ health. This study has been published in the prestigious scientific journals Radiology and JHLT Open, raising new hopes in the medical field.
