Office Based Spirometry
Abstract
Spirometry in the primary care office is a valuable tool that can be used to assist with the diagnosis of respiratory symptoms and the management of obstructive and restrictive lung disease. With the most common obstructive diseases, spirometry use has been shown to lead to more appropriate medical therapy and better patient outcomes than clinical diagnosis alone, even without specialty input. This article comprises a review of the indications, barriers to use, and procedural components of office based spirometry for the family physician. Interpretation of spirometric results and their use in clarifying a diagnosis and guiding treatment decisions are reviewed.
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Accepted 2014-01-16
Published 2014-01-01
