Accuracy and precision of desktop spirometers in general practices

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Medical Device Performance
• Diagnostic Accuracy

Background:

• Spirometry is vital for diagnosing and monitoring chronic airway diseases in general practices.
• The performance and accuracy of commonly used spirometry equipment in primary care settings are not well-understood.
• Inaccurate spirometry devices can negatively impact patient diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the accuracy and precision of desktop spirometers utilized in routine general practice.
• To identify potential factors influencing spirometer performance, such as device type and age.

Main Methods:

• A random sample of 50 desktop spirometers from Dutch general practices was evaluated.
• Devices were tested using a certified waveform generator with 8 standard American Thoracic Society (ATS) waveforms.
• Data on device type, age, usage, cleaning, and calibration were collected via questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Turbine spirometers comprised 80% of the tested devices; pneumotachographs represented 16%.
• Average deviations from reference values were 25 ml for FEV1 and 27 ml for FVC, with some devices exhibiting substantial inaccuracies.
• Pneumotachographs showed larger FEV1 deviations compared to turbine spirometers; no significant difference was found for FVC.

Conclusions:

• Desktop spirometers in general practices tend to slightly overestimate FEV1 and FVC, with notable deviations in some units.
• The findings underscore the need for general practices to enhance their focus on spirometer calibration.
• Ensuring accurate spirometry is essential for reliable patient care in primary settings.