[A nationwide questionnaire survey on clinical application of pulmonary function testing in China]

Assessment of the clinical application of pulmonary function testing (PFT) in China.

A questionnaire survey was performed in 212 hospitals covering 29 provinces of China.

The response rate was 81.6%. PFT had been conducted in 91.9% of the responders, of which 69.2% were from large (provincial or municipal) hospitals. PFT was introduced to many hospitals in late 1970's, and has been used widely in early 1990's. Only 12.4% of the instruments being used was made domesticly. The frequencies of average PFT per month and per bed were low and a large variation existed among hospitals. PFT had been used more in the departments of internal medicine and surgery, but less in pediatrics, gynecology, and ENT. Spirometric measurement was the most common testing (performed 100%), followed by bronchial dilation test (74.2%) and bronchial provocation test (65.4%). Lung volume, diffusion capacity and airway resistance measurement had been conducted in 60.0%, 58.2%, and 42.7%, of the large hospitals, respectively. Exercise test was conducted in only 16.4% of the large hospitals. The reference norms were stated in only 21.4% of the hospitals. Prediction equations available for children were stated in only 16.9% hospitals where PFT were performed in children. Prediction equations derived from mainland Chinese were used in only 16.3% lung function laboratories.

The clinical application of PFT in China is not popular and varies from hospital to hospital. It is imperative to develop domestic lung function instruments as well as lung function norms for Chinese.