Airway mechanics in health and disease

Infants requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation develop chronic respiratory problems. In addition to abnormalities in the lung parenchyma, airway injury with subsequent dysfunction is a hallmark of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Developmental immaturity, in addition to ventilator-induced injury, predispose infants to significant limitations in overall pulmonary function. This review will focus on basic physiologic mechanics and clinical assessment of airways to elucidate the contribution of developmental and injury induced changes in the functional characteristics of airways.