TY - JOUR T1 - Adopting universal lung function reference equations JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 901 LP - 903 DO - 10.1183/09031936.00123613 VL - 42 IS - 4 AU - Maureen P. Swanney AU - Martin R. Miller Y1 - 2013/10/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/4/901.abstract N2 - Since the dawn of spirometry and testing lung function [1, 2], clinicians have been aware that the values obtained from testing an individual's lung function can reflect the effects of lung diseases, and that this can be helpful with regard to all aspects of disease prevention and management. It was also recognised that the values obtained were also a reflection of the subject's sex, age and height; so to maximise the clinically relevant signal from the tests these aspects first needed to be taken into account. Studies were then undertaken to record lung function in subjects free from disease and free from the effects of tobacco smoke in order to have reference ranges of lung function.Clinicians have had to decide which of the many available prediction equations to use for their patients, realising that the different equations might lead to different judgements about the results obtained, because predicted values might vary by as much as 1 L for forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) [3]. Guidance in this choice has been based on the reference population being appropriate for the patients and the equipment used for recording the lung function being equivalent. Other considerations include the age span of the reference population and the statistical approach used to derive the various predicted equations. Many European centres used the equations derived for the European Community for Steel and Coal (ECSC) [4]. However, it was still … ER -