Spirometry Resources
Spirometry is the lung function test of choice for both
diagnosis and assessment of asthma. Most adults, and children
over 7 years of age can perform spirometry.
The National Asthma Council recommends
that all doctors managing asthma should have access to
and use a spirometer for this purpose.
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Spirometry training course
The National Asthma Council Australia's
national spirometry training course for GPs
and practice nurses provides comprehensive
training in the application, measurement and
interpretation of expiratory spirometry in
general practice.
Go to
Spirometry training course |
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Spirometer Users' and Buyers' Guide
Debbie Burton, David
P. Johns and Maureen Swanney
The guide aims to give GPs and others
performing lung function testing all the
essentials on fundamental aspects of lung
function testing and spirometer purchase.
Go to Spirometer Users' and Buyers' Guide
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Spirometry: The Measurement and
Interpretation of Ventilatory Function in
Clinical Practice.
Rob Pierce and David P. Johns
Written as a
guide for those involved in the performance
and interpretation of spirometry in clinical
practice as introductory information. (Revised
by David P. Johns July 2004 and March 2008.) Go to Spirometry: The Measurement and
Interpretation of Ventilatory Function in
Clinical Practice. |
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Performing
Spirometry in General Practice
Online video with Associate Professor John
Wilson and Mr Bruce Thompson from The Alfred
Hospital presenting the role of spirometry
in the general practice setting for the
diagnosis and management of asthma.
View Performing
Spirometry in General Practice |
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ANZSRS/TSANZ Position Paper on Spirometry Training
Courses
Position statement of the Australian & New Zealand Society
of Respiratory Science & The Thoracic Society of Australia &
New Zealand on spirometry training courses.
View position statement
www.anzsrs.org.au/spirotrainingposition.pdf
172 KB PDF file (Acrobat Reader required) |
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Pocket Guide to Spirometry, 2nd edition
David P. Johns and Rob Pierce
This handbook covers essentials facts about spirometry
including what it is and how it can be used effectively, how
the test is performed and interpreted, different types of
spirometers, and some common pitfalls and problems.
Go to
McGraw-Hill Australia, 2007 |
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How to perform and interpret Spirometry
David P. Johns and
Rob Pierce
Go to
Medi+World International, 2002
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Diagnosis and
Assessment of Asthma
 The
aim of spirometry in general practice is to assess
variability of airflow obstruction, and to measure
the degree of airflow obstruction compared to
predicted normal.
Accurate measurement of respiratory
function is necessary to assess and manage asthma.
Successive measurements before and after bronchodilator
use allow you to:
-
diagnose airway obstruction
-
measure the degree of airway
obstruction
-
monitor the effects of treatment
-
demonstrate the presence and
reversibility of airway obstruction to the patient
-
provide objective feedback to the
patient about the presence and severity of asthma
-
accurately back-titrate preventive
medication to determine the minimum effective dose.
The diagnosis of asthma is confirmed by
demonstrating the presence of variable airway
obstruction.
Spirometry is the method of choice
as the measurement of peak expiratory flow (PEF) with
conventional peak flow meters has significant
limitations. |
