Predictive Value of Spirometry in Screening of Children with Respiratory Disease

The diagnostic value of spirometry in the evaluation of pulmonary function is known; however, the predictive potential of this method has always been undervalued. In the present systematic review, we aimed to collect all available data to analyze whether spirometry can be used in screening programs to predict future pulmonary diseases.

A database search was performed in Ovid, Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar using “spirometry” and “predictive value” as the main search terms.

After excluding irrelevant articles, 19 related studies were selected, and data extraction was performed. The results of the included literature showed that spirometry is a safe and reliable method for the evaluation of pulmonary function. It was also reported that spirometry can provide useful information, which can be complementary to other methods of evaluation.

Findings showed that spirometry is a valid and non-invasive method of assessment for the diagnosis of respiratory diseases such as asthma and airway obstruction. Moreover, spirometric parameters may help to predict future pulmonary conditions, at least in children.