title: Reliability of an Electronic Inspiratory Loading Device for Assessing Pulmonary Function in Post-Stroke Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to examine the inter- and intra-rater reliability of an electronic inspiratory loading device for the assessment of pulmonary functions: maximum inspiratory pressure, peak inspiratory flow, and vital capacity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 50 patient volunteers in a rehabilitation hospital who had experienced their first episode of unilateral stroke with hemiparesis during the previous 6 months (26 men, 24 women; mean age [±SD], 55.96 [±12.81] years), with no use of medications that could induce drowsiness, evidence of restrictive lung disease, history of asthma, use of psychotropic drugs, or alcohol consumption habit. Maximum inspiratory pressure, peak inspiratory flow, and vital capacity for pulmonary functions were assessed using an electronic inspiratory loading device (PowerBreathe, K5, 2010) by 2 examiners, with patients in an unassisted sitting position, and 1 examiner re-assessed with same patients at the same time of a day after 1 week. Intra-class correlation coefficients were used to assess reliability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intra-rater reliability ranged from intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs)=0.959 to 0.986 in variables. For the inter-rater reliability between 2 examiners, the ICCs ranged from 0.933 to 0.985. Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability were good in variables (maximal inspiratory pressure, peak inspiratory flow, and vital capacity).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intra- and inter-examiner reliability of the pulmonary function measurements, maximum inspiratory pressure, peak inspiratory flow, and vital capacity, for the post-stroke patients was very high. The results suggest that the electronic inspiratory loading device would be useful for clinical rehabilitative assessment of pulmonary function.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Physical Therapy, Sahmyook University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyeong-Bong
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Physical Therapy, Sahmyook University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Min-Kyu
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Physical Therapy, Sahmyook University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ju-Ri
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Physical Therapy, Sahmyook University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Wan-Hee
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D004582:Electronics, Medical / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001239:Inhalation; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000295:instrumentation*; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014797:Vital Capacity