Evaluation of lung function in children

ABSTRACT

Pulmonary function testing (PFT) is an important and fundamental method in the evaluation and treatment of respiratory diseases. Airway responsiveness assessed using histamine or methacholine by PFT is meaningful for the diagnosis of asthma. Spirometry is simple, and has been the most commonly used technique. However, in younger or uncooperative children, other commercially available tools such as impulse oscillometry (IOS), gas dilution, and plethysmography have been used. IOS is a noninvasive method that allows the measurement of airway mechanics (resistance [R] and reactance [X]) with minimal patient cooperation. Functional residual capacity (FRC) is one of the most important measurements obtained by gas dilution. Plethysmography is a gold standard to measure airway resistance and useful for lung function testing in infants. The purpose of this review is to help pediatric physicians being familiar with PFT techniques used in young children by discussing their principles, clinical applications, limitations, and current accessibility in Korea.