Use of impulse oscillometry to assess lung function in prematurely born children and young people: Comparisons with spirometry

Premature birth is a risk factor for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD); both of which are associated with obstructive airway disease throughout childhood. Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is an effort-independent, passive measure of tidal breathing, which could have benefits in assessing lung function amongst younger patients unable to perform valid spirometry. A literature search was conducted to investigate the use of IOS in prematurely born children and young people. IOS results correlate with those of spirometry. Reversibility of airway obstruction in children with BPD is variable. IOS could have benefits in assessing individual patient response and suitability for bronchodilator therapy. More work, however, is required to establish multi-ethnic reference ranges and standardise commercially available devices prior to its routine incorporation into clinical practice. (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

Premature birth is a risk factor for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and both are linked to obstructive airway disease in childhood. Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is a passive measure of tidal breathing that could be beneficial for assessing lung function in young patients who cannot perform spirometry. Literature search indicates that IOS results correlate with spirometry. The reversibility of airway obstruction in children with BPD varies. IOS could be useful in evaluating individual patient response and suitability for bronchodilator therapy, but more research is needed to establish reference ranges and standardize commercially available devices before routine clinical use.