TY - JOUR T1 - Forced expiratory manoeuvres in children: do they meet ATS and ERS criteria for spirometry? JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 655 LP - 660 DO - 10.1183/09031936.01.00204301 VL - 18 IS - 4 AU - H.G.M. Arets AU - H.J.L. Brackel AU - C.K. van der Ent Y1 - 2001/10/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/18/4/655.abstract N2 - The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society criteria for spirometry in children.Maximal expiratory flow/volume (MEFV) measurements from 446 school-age children, experienced in performing MEFV manoeuvres, were studied and acceptability (start-of-test (backward extrapolated volume as a percentage of forced vital capacity (FVC) (Vbe%FVC) or as an absolute value (Vbe), end-of-test (forced expiratory time (FET)) and reproducibility criteria (absolute and percentage difference between best and second-best FVC and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (ΔFVC, ΔFVC %, ΔFEV1 and ΔFEV1 %)) were applied to these manoeuvres.The Vbe%FVC criterion was met by 91.5%, the Vbe <0.15 L criterion by 94.8% and the Vbe <0.10 L by 60.1% of children. Vbe <0.15 L appeared to be a more useful parameter than Vbe%FVC. The FET criterion was met by only 15.3% of children. ΔFVC <0.2 L and ΔFEV1 <0.2 L were met by 97.1% and 98.4%, and ΔFVC <0.1 L and ΔFEV1 <0.1 L by 79.8% and 84.3% of the children, respectively. These criteria appeared to be less useful compared to percentage criteria (ΔFVC % and ΔFEV1 %). Even experienced children did not meet all international criteria for spirometry. However, most of their MEFV curves are useful for interpretation.Based on the performance of these children, a re-evaluation of criteria for maximal expiratory flow/volume measurements in children is proposed. ER -