PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - D Rama Esendagli
AU  - E Gul
AU  - A Ozsancak
AU  - S Akcay
AU  - G Ulubay
TI  - Has the pandemic changed the test quality of the pulmonary function test laboratory?
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2022.2727
DP  - 2022 Sep 04
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 2727
VI  - 60
IP  - suppl 66
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/60/suppl_66/2727.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/60/suppl_66/2727.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2022 Sep 04; 60
AB  - Introduction and Aim: Pulmonary function tests are used in the evaluation of the respiratory system. Maneuvers during spirometry can create aerosols and cause the spread of microbiological agents such as SARS-CoV-2 virus. The measures taken due to the pandemic can negatively affect both the number and the quality of the spirometry. There are no comparative studies on this subject.Methods: The tests conducted in the spirometry laboratory of Baskent University Hospital during November 2019 and November 2021 were evaluated and compared by 2 chest specialists.Results: A total of 440 patients were included in the study. 50.5% of patients were male and the average age was 61.8±16.5 years. The age, gender, height and weight of the patients were similar. 75.2% (331) of the tests were evaluated as successful. The most common errors in tests evaluated as erroneous were early termination (84.1%), uncooperative patients (29%) and poor effort (22.4%). The median number of tests performed for each patient was 6. Test numbers were 262 and 178 for 2019 and 2021 (p=0.011), but test success remained unchanged over the years (p=0.513). The type of errors were not different between the two periods. There was no significant difference between the 3 operators who conducted the tests and the test success (p=0.909), which was similar for both periods. However, the number of tests performed between the two periods until the successful maneuver varied significantly (p=0.009) and fewer maneuvers were required in 2021.Conclusion: As a result, the spirometry quality did not change with the measures of pandemic,but the decrease in number of patients significantly reduced the number of tests performed until the successful maneuver.FootnotesCite this article as Eur Respir J 2022; 60: Suppl. 66, 2727.This article was presented at the 2022 ERS International Congress, in session “-”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).