RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Spirometric reference values for Italian children
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP p1113
VO 38
IS Suppl 55
A1 Valentina Fainardi
A1 Daniela Vitale
A1 Elio Volta
A1 Maurizio Vanelli
A1 Giovanna Pisi
YR 2011
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p1113.abstract
AB Introduction: Spirometry is the basic tool to evaluate pulmonary function both in adults and in children. The purpose of this study was to provide updated reference values and equations for healthy Italian children.Subjects and methods: Two-hundred-seven healthy children (aged 6-14 yrs, mean ± SD: 9.4±1.9) attending a summer sport school in the North of Italy performed spirometry with a pneumotachograph (Koko Spirometer; Sensormedics, Milan, Italy) according to American Thoracic Society. Pulmonary function parameters included forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at 1st second (FEV1), forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of FVC (FEF25-75), and peak expiratory flow (PEF). After stratification by gender, descriptive statistics were determined for the primary outcome variables FVC, FEV1, FEF25–75, and PEF. Independent variables considered included age (A, in years), weight (W in kilograms), and height (Ht in meters). The independent predictors of these variables were determined using linear regression models. To define the lower limit of the normal ranges (LLNs), the fifth percentiles were determined. SPSS version 18 was used for the analyses.Results: Reference equations for spirometry for girls (n=98) and boys (n=109) are reported in the table.View this table:Conclusions: Height and age were significant predictors of FEV1, FVC, FEF25–75, and PEF in the gender-specific models. Further studies are requested to confirm these preliminary results.