title: An official American Thoracic Society workshop report: optimal lung function tests for monitoring cystic fibrosis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and recurrent wheezing in children less than 6 years of age.
abstract: Although pulmonary function testing plays a key role in the diagnosis and management of chronic pulmonary conditions in children under 6 years of age, objective physiologic assessment is limited in the clinical care of infants and children less than 6 years old, due to the challenges of measuring lung function in this age range. Ongoing research in lung function testing in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers has resulted in techniques that show promise as safe, feasible, and potentially clinically useful tests. Official American Thoracic Society workshops were convened in 2009 and 2010 to review six lung function tests based on a comprehensive review of the literature (infant raised-volume rapid thoracic compression and plethysmography, preschool spirometry, specific airway resistance, forced oscillation, the interrupter technique, and multiple-breath washout). In these proceedings, the current state of the art for each of these tests is reviewed as it applies to the clinical management of infants and children under 6 years of age with cystic fibrosis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and recurrent wheeze, using a standardized format that allows easy comparison between the measures. Although insufficient evidence exists to recommend incorporation of these tests into the routine diagnostic evaluation and clinical monitoring of infants and young children with cystic fibrosis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or recurrent wheeze, they may be valuable tools with which to address specific concerns, such as ongoing symptoms or monitoring response to treatment, and as outcome measures in clinical research studies.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenfeld
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Bert H G M
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Arets
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aurora
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Beydon
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calogero
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Castile
authors.forename: Stephanie D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gappa
authors.forename: Per M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Gustaffson
authors.forename: Graham L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Marcus H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Jane C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kirkby
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kraemer
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: Sooky
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lum
authors.forename: Oscar H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merkus
authors.forename: Kim G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Cara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: Ellie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oostveen
authors.forename: Sarath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ranganathan
authors.forename: Clement L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Seddon
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Sly
authors.forename: Marianna M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sockrider
authors.forename: Samatha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sonnappa
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stocks
authors.forename: Padmaja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Subbarao
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Tepper
authors.forename: Daphna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vilozni
mesh_terms: D000403:Airway Resistance; D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010991:Plethysmography / Q000379:methods; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012955:Societies, Medical; D014481:United States