Alteration in Breathing Pattern with Progression of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease^1,2

We examined the relationship between breathing pattern and severity of disease in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Resting breathing pattern was recorded for 45 min using the respiratory inductance plethysmograph (RIP) in 22 patients with stable COPD. Six subjects (moderate group) had FEV1 25 to 50% predicted, 8 subjects (severe group) had FEV1 less than 25% predicted, and 8 subjects (respiratory failure group) had...