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Variability of the lateral position test in normal subjects
The American Review of Respiratory Disease
|January 1, 1980
Summary
The lateral position test (LPT) shows significant day-to-day and within-day variability in measuring unilateral pulmonary function in healthy adults. Multiple LPT trials are essential for reliable clinical interpretation due to this inherent inconsistency.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Physiology
- Diagnostic Test Evaluation
Background:
- The lateral position test (LPT) is used to assess unilateral pulmonary function.
- Understanding the test's reliability is crucial for clinical application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the day-to-day and within-day variability of the lateral position test (LPT) in healthy individuals.
- To determine the reproducibility of LPT measurements in normal subjects.
Main Methods:
- 10 healthy, nonsmoking young adults participated.
- The lateral position test (LPT) was performed in triplicate for 5 consecutive days.
Main Results:
- Significant variability in unilateral pulmonary function measurements by LPT was observed from day to day and test to test within the same individual.
- Variability between repeated measurements by the same or different observers was minimal.
Conclusions:
- The inherent variability of the LPT in repeated measurements necessitates multiple tests per subject for meaningful interpretation.
- The significant variability limits the clinical utility of the LPT for assessing unilateral pulmonary function.