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Should spirometer quality control be treated like other laboratory devices?
Jeffrey M Haynes1, Gregg L Ruppel2
1Pulmonary Function Laboratory, St Joseph Hospital, Nashua, NH, USA.
ERJ Open Research
|February 19, 2019
Summary
The American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society spirometer calibration standards may be insufficient for ensuring accurate lung function testing. Further research is needed to validate current calibration protocols for reliable spirometry measurements.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Function Testing
- Respiratory Medicine
- Medical Device Calibration
Background:
- Spirometry is essential for diagnosing and managing respiratory diseases.
- Accurate spirometer calibration is critical for reliable test results.
- Current calibration standards are set by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and European Respiratory Society (ERS).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the adequacy of existing ATS/ERS spirometer calibration standards.
- To identify potential limitations in current calibration protocols.
- To assess the impact of calibration variability on spirometry outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Review of current ATS/ERS spirometer calibration guidelines.
- Analysis of data from multiple spirometry devices and calibration procedures.
- Comparison of calibration results against established performance metrics.
Main Results:
- Findings suggest that current ATS/ERS calibration standards may not fully guarantee accuracy across all spirometers.
- Variability in calibration outcomes indicates potential for measurement error.
- Inadequacies in calibration could affect clinical decision-making.
Conclusions:
- The adequacy of ATS/ERS spirometer calibration standards requires further investigation.
- Refinement of calibration protocols may be necessary to improve spirometry accuracy.
- Ensuring robust calibration is vital for consistent and dependable pulmonary function testing.
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