Spirometry in children

Volume 22 Issue 2 June 2013

Clinical Review

Spirometry in children

Pages 221-229
Kana Ram Jat

Department of Pediatrics, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector-32, Chandigarh-160030, India

Received 15 December 2012 • Accepted 17 February 2013 • Online 29 May 2013


Abstract
Respiratory disorders are responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality in children. Spirometry is a useful investigation for diagnosing and monitoring a variety of paediatric respiratory diseases, but it is underused by primary care physicians and paediatricians treating children with respiratory disease. We now have a better understanding of respiratory physiology in children, and newer computerised spirometry equipment is available with updated regional reference values for the paediatric age group. This review evaluates the current literature for indications, test procedures, quality assessment, and interpretation of spirometry results in children. Spirometry may be useful for asthma, cystic fibrosis, congenital or acquired airway malformations and many other respiratory diseases in children. The technique for performing spirometry in children is crucial and is discussed in detail. Most children, including preschool children, can perform acceptable spirometry. Steps for interpreting spirometry results include identification of common errors during the test by applying acceptability and repeatability criteria and then comparing test parameters with reference standards. Spirometry results depict only the pattern of ventilation, which may be normal, obstructive, restrictive, or mixed. The diagnosis should be based on both clinical features and spirometry results. There is a need to encourage primary care physicians and paediatricians treating respiratory diseases in children to use spirometry after adequate training.

Cite as: Jat KR. Spirometry in children. Prim Care Respir J 2013;22(2):221-229. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4104/pcrj.2013.00042

Keywords
spirometry, preschool children, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second

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