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Reference values of Forced Expiratory Volumes and pulmonary flows in 3-6 year children: a cross-sectional study

Pavilio Piccioni1, Alberto Borraccino, Maria Pia Forneris

  • 1SC Pneumologia CPA ASL 4 Torino--Strada dell'arrivore 25/A--10154 Torino, Italy. ppiccioni@qubisoft.it

Respiratory Research
|February 24, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Spirometry is feasible in young children (ages 3-6), with high cooperation rates and reliable test results. While current standards need adaptation, key respiratory parameters like Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV) can be effectively measured.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Respiratory Physiology
  • Diagnostic Methods

Background:

  • Assessing respiratory function in young children is challenging.
  • Feasibility and validity of spirometry in this age group require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To verify the feasibility of respiratory function tests in children aged 3-6.
  • To assess the validity of these tests for diagnosing respiratory disorders.
  • To establish reference equations for key spirometry parameters.

Main Methods:

  • Spirometry performed on 960 children aged 3-6.
  • Collection of health and parental lifestyle data.
  • Analysis of test validity, reliability, and predictive values.

Main Results:

  • High cooperation rate (95.3%) and test validity (93% with ≥3 acceptable curves).
  • Established regression equations for FVC, FEV1, FEV0.5, FEV0.75, and MEF parameters.
  • High specificity (>95%) but low sensitivity (<20%) for parameter discrimination against symptoms; MEF75 showed highest OR (10.55).
  • FEV0.75 demonstrated strong predictive ability for FEV1 (R²=0.95).

Conclusions:

  • Spirometry is feasible in young children, confirming its utility.
  • Current spirometry standards may require adjustments for this age group.
  • Reference values for various parameters exhibit similar behavior in this population.
Abstract

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