Evaluation of two spirometers and two flowmeters in asthmatic children.
The reliability of a Monaghan (M 403) spirometer and a Vitalograph spirometer was evaluated in 46 children with "subclinical" asthma. As in previous studies of healthy children the vital capacity (VC) and the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1.0) were close to those of a Bernstein spirometer. The sensitivity of the spirometers and of two flowmeters (Wright's peak flow meter and Airflometer-Glaxo) was evaluated in the asthmatic children after inhalation of salbutamol and the changes after inhalation were compared to those obtained in a previous study of healthy children. The "simple" equipment gave substantial information about the degree of bronchial obstruction. It is concluded that the additional information obtained by using simple pulmonary function tests form a good basis for aggressive therapy.
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013147:Spirometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014797:Vital Capacity