What constitutes an obstructive ventilatory impairment in a pediatric population? A comparative study of five

Mariem Abdesalem1,2, Ines Ghannouchi1,2, Amine Souissi1

  • 1Farhat HACHED Hospital, Laboratory of Physiology and Functional Explorations, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia.

PubMed

Insights

The frequency of obstructive ventilatory impairment (OVI) in children varies significantly based on the diagnostic criteria used. It is crucial to specify the definition when reporting OVI prevalence data in pediatric populations.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Respiratory Medicine

Background:

  • Obstructive ventilatory impairment (OVI) is a significant respiratory condition in children and adolescents.
  • Standardized definitions for OVI are essential for accurate diagnosis and epidemiological studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the frequency of OVI in pediatric patients referred for spirometry.
  • To compare OVI prevalence using definitions from major international respiratory societies.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study of 602 children aged 6-18 years.
  • Spirometry was performed, and OVI was assessed using five distinct criteria (GINA, ICGP, ERS-ATS, NICE, CTS).

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of OVI varied substantially across definitions, ranging from 7.6% (ICGP) to 27.9% (CTS).
  • Significant differences (p < 0.001) were observed, indicating non-equivalence of the definitions.

Conclusions:

  • The diagnostic criteria significantly impact the reported frequency of OVI in pediatric populations.
  • Clinicians and researchers must specify the definition used when interpreting or reporting OVI prevalence data.
Abstract

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