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Updated: Aug 26, 2025
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Conducting Respiratory Oscillometry in an Outpatient Setting
Published on: April 8, 2022
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Airwave oscillometry and spirometry in children with asthma or wheeze
Shannon Gunawardana1, Mark Tuazon2, Lorna Wheatley2
1Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
Summary
Airwave oscillometry (AOS) is a successful non-volitional test for assessing lung function in young children with asthma. This method is more effective than spirometry in this age group, aiding in diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Lung function tests are crucial for diagnosing asthma and monitoring control.
- Spirometry, a common test, can be challenging for young children to perform accurately.
- Non-volitional tests like airwave oscillometry (AOS) offer a potential alternative for this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the success rates of spirometry and airwave oscillometry (AOS) in assessing bronchodilator responsiveness in children.
- To evaluate the utility of AOS as an adjunct to spirometry in pediatric asthma assessment.
Main Methods:
- Airwave oscillometry (AOS) and spirometry were performed on 47 children (ages 5-16) with wheeze or asthma.
- Key AOS parameters assessed included resistance at 5 Hz (R5) and reactance at 5 Hz (X5).
- Bronchodilator responsiveness was evaluated after administering salbutamol, with tests repeated after 15 minutes.
Main Results:
- A significantly higher success rate was observed for AOS (98%) compared to spirometry (68%) (p < 0.001).
- Children unable to perform acceptable spirometry were younger than those who could (7.35 vs. 10.4 years, p < 0.001).
- AOS parameters (R5, X5) showed significant correlations with spirometry measures (FEV1, FEF75, FEV1/FVC) and correlated with bronchodilator response.
Conclusions:
- Oscillometry is a valuable tool for assessing lung function in young asthmatic children, complementing spirometry.
- The effectiveness of AOS in assessing bronchodilator response in children with asthma is demonstrated.
- Comparability of AOS and spirometry results may be influenced by the degree of airway obstruction.
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