Spirometry quality in adults with very severe lung function impairment

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Respiratory Diagnostics

Background:

• Technologists express concern that severe lung disease hinders spirometry maneuver completion due to high effort requirements.
• Spirometry is crucial for assessing lung function, particularly in patients with significant respiratory impairment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality of spirometry tests in patients with very severe lung disease.
• To identify factors associated with poor spirometry quality in this population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of spirometry tests from adult subjects with FEV1 < 35% predicted over a 3-year period.
• Assessment of test session quality rates and correlates.

Main Results:

• Approximately 90% of spirometry tests in subjects with very severe lung impairment (FEV1 < 35% predicted) were of adequate quality.
• Airway obstruction was linked to lower FVC repeatability.
• Poor spirometry quality correlated with very low FVC and low BMI, but not advanced age.

Conclusions:

• Severe lung disease does not preclude achieving spirometry quality goals.
• Spirometry quality should be maintained even in patients with significant respiratory compromise.