Pulmonary function testing in office practice

With the wide availability of simple to operate pulmonary function equipment, these tests can now be performed in the office or clinic setting. The use of pulmonary function tests in the assessment of patients with pulmonary diseases has thus expanded. These simple tests rely on data generated from a forced expiratory vital capacity maneuver which can be performed reliably by most children over the age of 6 or 7 years. Pulmonary function tests provide both diagnostic and prognostic information and help in the management of a number of respiratory diseases. The number of tests available vary with the level of sophistication of the pulmonary function laboratory; in most situations simple spirometry is adequate. Several new and inexpensive peak flow meters are now available for home use; these are very useful for home monitoring of asthma patients. Physicians caring for patients with asthma or other chronic respiratory diseases should be encouraged to use these tests routinely in the management of these children.