Respiratory
Division
Diagnostic Products
Spirometry
Spirometry made Simple
Introduction
The
last few years have seen a growing interest in the management of asthma, particularly
in primary
care. Other pulmonary disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD) and occupational asthma have also come under the spotlight. Simple
objective measurements such as peak flow are very effective in diagnosis and
monitoring of asthma, but in patients with COPD other measurements such as
FEV1 are most useful. This has led to a re-evaluation of the role of spirometry
in general practice. 
The ease of use of the peak flow meter has made it popular with both patients and professionals alike, but to many people the word “spirometry” still brings to mind images of tubes, noseclips, complicated machinery and difficult to interpret pen-plotted graphs. Recent developments in spirometry equipment have given much hope to those who can make valuable use of the information.
“Simple
Spirometry”, collecting the basic measurements of ventilation, provides valuable
data that assists with both the diagnosis and the ongoing monitoring of pulmonary
disease. The use of such a technique in the community aids diagnosis and follow-up
of many patients. It also complements the role of pulmonary function specialists
when they assess more complicated cases, using specialised apparatus in the
lung function laboratory.
The aim of these web pages is to provide practical examples of how simple spirometry can assist healthcare professionals, demonstrating how and why they use this type of instrument in their everyday work. From differentiating between asthma and COPD, to screening for occupational disease, spirometry is increasingly presenting itself as an indispensable tool for managing pulmonary disease.
