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Updated: Jan 27, 2026
Conducting Respiratory Oscillometry in an Outpatient Setting
Published on: April 8, 2022
Interdevice agreement in respiratory resistance values by oscillometry in asthmatic children
Francine M Ducharme1,2,3, Imane Jroundi3,4, Guillaume Jean3
1Dept of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Insights
Agreement between oscillometry devices for measuring respiratory impedance in children is variable. Specific normative values are needed for different devices and frequencies to ensure accurate asthma assessment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Respiratory Physiology
- Medical Device Evaluation
Background:
- Commercial devices for measuring respiratory impedance using oscillometry show unclear agreement.
- Variability in measurements across different instruments and frequencies necessitates further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the agreement of resistance and reactance parameters between two oscillometry devices.
- To compare measurements obtained using different waveforms and frequencies.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cross-sectional study involved 50 asthmatic children (aged 3-17 years).
- Measurements were taken using MasterScreen impulse oscillometry (5-25 Hz multifrequency) and tremoFlo C-100 (5-25 Hz multifrequency, 7 Hz monofrequency).
- Agreement was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient, paired t-test, linear regression, and Bland-Altman analysis.
Main Results:
- High agreement (ICC 0.88-0.91) for resistance and good agreement (ICC 0.69-0.87) for reactance were observed between devices at 5-25 Hz.
- However, absolute within-patient differences and proportional bias were noted for most parameters and frequencies.
- Significant proportional bias was found in within-breath parameters between 5 Hz and 7 Hz on the tremoFlo system.
Conclusions:
- Observed differences in resistance and reactance highlight the need for instrument- and frequency-specific normative values.
- Accurate interpretation of pediatric oscillometry data requires consideration of device and frequency variations.
Background:
With several commercially available devices measuring respiratory impedance by oscillometry, the agreement between values obtained on different instruments or frequencies remains unclear. Our aim was to examine the agreement between resistance and reactance parameters on two oscillometry instruments using different waveforms.
Methods:
We conducted a prospective cross-sectional study in asthmatic children aged 3-17 years. Reproducible oscillometry measurements were obtained in random order, by blinded operators, at three modes: 5-10-15-20-25 Hz (5-25 Hz) multifrequency mode on the MasterScreen impulse oscillometry system, and both 5-25 Hz multifrequency mode and 7 Hz monofrequency on the tremoFlo C-100 airwave sinusoidal system. Resistance, reactance and within-breath parameters were examined using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), paired t-test, linear regression and Bland-Altman method.
Results:
Of 50 participants, 44 and 38 completed between-device and within-frequency measurements, respectively. Between-device measurements at 5-25 Hz showed high (ICC 0.88-0.91) and good (ICC 0.69-0.87) agreement in resistance and reactance, respectively, but with an absolute within-patient difference (≥0.05 kPa·L-1·s-1) and proportional bias (≥30% per kPa·L-1·s-1) in all parameters and oscillatory frequencies, apart from resistance at 5 Hz. A significant proportional bias was documented in most within-breath parameters at 5 versus 7 Hz on tremoFlo.
Conclusion:
Observed differences in resistance and reactance suggest the need for instrument- and frequency-specific paediatric normative values.
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