An essential step in home monitoring of pulmonary diseases: reliability of measurements with portable spirometry

Abstract

Purpose: Measurement of pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters is an essential component in diagnosing and monitoring pulmonary diseases. While traditional spirometers used in laboratories by trained technicians are the standard, they may face challenges including technical and accessibility issues. Portable spirometry might be a promising tool for remote monitoring. This study aims to evaluate the compatibility of data obtained by using a portable spirometer (MIR Spirobank®) versus traditional spirometry. Materials and methods: Consecutive adult patients referred to the PFT laboratory from the outpatient clinic were included in this cross-sectional study. Each underwent PFT to obtain FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEF, and FEF25-75 parameters. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated, and Bland-Altman plots were created to evaluate the agreement of the measurements from the two devices. Results: The mean age was 51.97±9.37 (33-72) years, and 56.7% of the 30 participants were male. Spirometry results indicated 56.7% normal, 33.3% obstructive, and 10% restrictive disorders using traditional methods, with compatible distributions observed for the portable spirometer (Kappa coefficient=0.656, p=0.0001). High agreement and correlation were found (p<0.0001), and the Bland-Altman plots showed good consistency between the devices. Conclusion: Acceptable reliability may suggest the use of portable spirometry in telemedicine for assessing pulmonary diseases remotely and enhancing patient care.

Keywords

• Portable spirometer
• Spirobank
• pulmonary diseases
• remote monitoring
• telemedicine

Akciğer hastalıklarının evde izleminde önemli bir adım: taşınabilir spirometre ile yapılan ölçümlerin güvenilirliği

Abstract

Amaç: Solunum fonksiyon testi (SFT) parametrelerinin ölçümü, akciğer hastalıklarının tanı ve takibinde temel bir bileşendir. Eğitimli teknisyenler tarafından laboratuvarlarda kullanılan geleneksel spirometreler standart olmasına rağmen teknik ve erişimle ilgili zorluklarla karşılaşılabilmektedir. Taşınabilir spirometreler, uzaktan izlem için umut verici bir araç olabilir. Bu çalışma, taşınabilir bir spirometre (MIR Spirobank®) ile geleneksel spirometre kullanılarak elde edilen verilerin uyumluluğunu değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Gereç ve yöntem: Kesitsel çalışmaya, göğüs hastalıkları polikliniğinden solunum fonksiyon testi laboratuvarına yönlendirilen ardışık erişkin hastalar dâhil edilmiştir. Her katılımcıya FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEF ve FEF25-75 parametrelerini elde etmek için SFT uygulanmıştır. İki cihazdan elde edilen ölçümlerin uyumunu değerlendirmek için sınıf içi korelasyon katsayısı (ICC) hesaplanmış ve Bland-Altman grafikleri oluşturulmuştur. Bulgular: Katılımcıların medyan yaşı 51,97±9,37 (33-72) yıl olup, 30 katılımcının %56,7’si erkekti. Geleneksel yöntemlerle yapılan spirometri sonuçları %56,7 normal, %33,3 obstrüktif ve %10 restriktif bozukluk göstermiş olup, taşınabilir spirometre ile uyumlu dağılımlar gözlenmiştir (Kappa katsayısı=0,656, p=0,0001). İki spirometre cihazı ile yapılan ölçümler arasında yüksek düzeyde uyum ve korelasyon tespit edilmiştir (p<0,0001), Bland-Altman grafikleri cihazlar arasında iyi bir tutarlılık göstermiştir. Sonuç: Kabul edilebilir güvenilirlik ve geleneksel spirometri ile yüksek uyum, taşınabilir spirometrinin akciğer hastalıklarının uzaktan değerlendirilmesi ve hasta bakımını iyileştirmek için teletıpta kullanılabileceğini düşündürmektedir.

Keywords

• Taşınabilir spirometre
• Spirobank
• göğüs hastalıkları
• uzaktan izlem
• teletıp

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