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Feasibility of spirometry in preschool children
Tiago Neves Veras1, Leonardo Araujo Pinto
1Jeser Amarante Faria Children’s Hospital, Joinville, Brazil. tnveras@pneumoped.com.br
Summary
Spirometry is a valid method for assessing preschool children's lung function, achieving an 82% success rate. This high rate, aided by animated incentives and pediatric specialists, supports its use in this age group.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Respiratory Medicine
- Clinical Pediatrics
Background:
- Spirometry is crucial for diagnosing pediatric respiratory conditions.
- Assessing pulmonary function in preschool children presents unique challenges.
- Establishing reliable spirometry success rates in this age group is essential for clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the spirometry success rate in preschool children.
- To evaluate the feasibility of spirometry in children aged 6 years and younger.
- To identify factors influencing spirometry success in young children.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of spirometry results from 74 children aged ≤ 6 years.
- Utilized an animated incentive (soap bubbles) during testing.
- Tests conducted by a pediatric pulmonologist adhering to American Thoracic Society criteria.
Main Results:
- Achieved an 82% spirometry success rate in the sample.
- An average of 6.6 attempts were needed per successful test.
- 21.6% of children exhibited an obstructive pattern based on Z scores.
Conclusions:
- Spirometry is a valid and effective method for assessing pulmonary function in preschool children.
- High success rates can be achieved using animated incentives and specialized pediatric personnel.
- Findings support the routine use of spirometry in pediatric respiratory evaluations.
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