Verification of the newest reference values for spirometry in young children

Spirometry is a basic diagnostic tool in pulmonary medicine, also used in children. Recently new sets of reference values have been published (Stanojevic et al; AJRCCM 2009, (1)) and the so called GLI2012 (Quanjer et al. ERJ 2012 (2)) that allow interpretation of spirometry in children as young as 3 years of age. The aim of a present study was to verify what is the distribution of calculated reference values (% predicted and z-score) in a group of children without signs of obstruction. The analysis was performed on the results obtained in 152 children aged 4-10 yrs, who before spirometry underwent oscillometric measurements (IOS) and had normal respiratory resistances, to exclude those with potential obstruction. We have analysed FEV1/FVC with both reference equations sets and also FEV0.75/FVC using equation of Stanojevic et al. The table presents the results: View this table: Table 1. The results show, that in a group of children , potentially non-obstructed, z-scores have normal distribution with mean value close to zero and SD approaching 1. The equations for reference values can be used in Polish children Refs: 1. S. Stanojevic et al. Spirometry centile charts for young Caucasian children. AJRCCM 2009; 180:547-552. 2. Quanjer P.H.,.et al. Multi-ethnic reference values for spirometry for the 3-95-yr age range: the global lung function 2012 equations. ERJ 2012,40: 1324-1343.