Popular spirometer guide updated

The National Asthma Council Australia’s popular Spirometer Users’ and Buyers’ Guide, has been comprehensively updated and is available for free download from: www.NationalAsthma.org.au. Now in its third edition, the Guide reviews all spirometers currently available in Australia. Using a simple comparative table, it details specifications and features for each, including hardware requirements, software capacity, reference values, Australian supplier, pricing and costs associated with any consumable accessories.

According to co-author Assoc Prof David Johns, Principal Research Fellow, Menzies Research Institute Tasmania, the large number of spirometers currently available in Australia makes it difficult for primary care clinicians to determine which spirometer will best suits their practice needs.

“The Guide was developed to help overcome this problem, enabling primary care clinicians to assess and choose the most appropriate spirometer for their practice,” Assoc Prof Johns explained. An additional educational section about the measurement and application of spirometry is also provided in the Guide, including how to perform the test, how to identify poor quality tests and how to interpret the results.

“Primary care physicians are in a unique position to monitor the respiratory health of the community. The inclusion of spirometry as a routine test, especially in patients at risk of respiratory disease, such as smokers, will lead to earlier detection of respiratory disease and more effective intervention and treatment,” Assoc Prof Johns said.

The updated Spirometer Users’ and Buyers’ Guide was authored by Assoc Prof Johns in conjunction with Assoc Prof Debbie Burton, Central Queensland University and Dr Maureen Swanney, Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand.

It has been endorsed by the Australian and New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science.