title: Correlation between Bhalla score and spirometry in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To correlate the findings of high resolution computed tomography of the chest based on the Bhalla score with the clinical data and spirometry in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis, and to study the concordance between two radiologists for the Bhalla score and its categories.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the medical records of 23 patients from the outpatient clinic. The items evaluated included age, weight, height, height/age Z-score, weight/age Z-score, body mass index (BMI), O2 saturation, spirometry and Bhalla score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients had a mean age of 17.4 years ± 5.7 years, with fifteen females and eight males. There was good correlation between Bhalla score and spirometry (FVC-r =0.718, p<0.001; FEV1-r=0.830, p<0.001; FEF25-75%-r =0.786, p<0.001; FEV1/FVC-r=0.714, p<0.001). It was also noted that some patients with FEF25-75%> 70% already had changes in their final Bhalla score. In the analysis of the concordance between the examiners a Kappa coefficient of 0.81 (p <0.001) was found, and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.98.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A good correlation between Bhalla scores with spirometry confirmed its usefulness in evaluating and monitoring patients with cystic fibrosis, given it can be used both in patients who are unable to perform spirometry as well as for a pooled analysis of the two examinations since the HRCT scans show early changes in patients with normal function tests.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences of Minas gerais, Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Federal University of Minas Gerais.
authors.forename: Flavia Fajardo Linhares
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, UFMG.
authors.forename: Cassio da Cunha
authors.initials: Cda C
authors.lastname: Ibiapina
authors.affiliation: college of Medicine, UFMG.
authors.forename: Cristina Gonçalves
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Alvim
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, UFMG.
authors.forename: Paulo Augusto Moreira
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Camargos
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, UFMG.
authors.forename: Reginaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, UFMG.
authors.forename: Jesiana Ferreira
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Pedrosa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013147:Spirometry / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult