Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current
    • Published Ahead of Print
    • Archive
    • Supplemental Issues
    • Collections - French
    • Collections - English
  • Info for
    • Authors & Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Subscribers
    • Permissions
  • About CFP
    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
  • Feedback
    • Feedback
    • Rapid Responses
    • Most Read
    • Most Cited
    • Email Alerts
  • Blogs
    • Latest Blogs
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Directives pour les blogues
  • Mainpro+ Credits
    • About Mainpro+
    • Member Login
    • Instructions
  • Other Publications
    • http://www.cfpc.ca/Canadianfamilyphysician/
    • https://www.cfpc.ca/Login/
    • Careers and Locums

User menu

  • My alerts

Search

  • Advanced search
The College of Family Physicians of Canada
  • Other Publications
    • http://www.cfpc.ca/Canadianfamilyphysician/
    • https://www.cfpc.ca/Login/
    • Careers and Locums
  • My alerts
The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current
    • Published Ahead of Print
    • Archive
    • Supplemental Issues
    • Collections - French
    • Collections - English
  • Info for
    • Authors & Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Subscribers
    • Permissions
  • About CFP
    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
  • Feedback
    • Feedback
    • Rapid Responses
    • Most Read
    • Most Cited
    • Email Alerts
  • Blogs
    • Latest Blogs
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Directives pour les blogues
  • Mainpro+ Credits
    • About Mainpro+
    • Member Login
    • Instructions
  • RSS feeds
  • Follow cfp Template on Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
Article CommentaryCommentary

Spirometry interpretation in primary care

Anthony D. D’Urzo
Canadian Family Physician October 2011; 57 (10) 1122;
Anthony D. D’Urzo
MD MSc CCFP FCFP
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • eLetters
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

The role of spirometry in primary care continues to evolve with increasing peer-reviewed support for its use as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool.1,2 Despite the availability of affordable hand-held spirometers, spirometry remains largely underused in primary care.3 Barriers to implementation include time constraints, quality control, and the challenges of interpreting spirometric data.2

In this issue of Canadian Family Physician, members of the Primary Care Respiratory Alliance of Canada discuss how 2 different spirometry interpretation algorithms influence interpretation of the same spirometric data and how this can lead to disease misclassification (pages 1148 and 1153).4,5 The articles describe a new algorithm that builds on principles of an existing algorithm endorsed by the Ontario Thoracic Society,4 and critically appraise the older algorithm to highlight some important limitations and inconsistencies with current guidelines on asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease management.6,7 Caregivers can use the new algorithm as a stand-alone document to manage patients with respiratory complaints, with a view to minimizing disease misclassification.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests

    None declared

  • The opinions expressed in commentaries are those of the authors. Publication does not imply endorsement by the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

  • Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada

References

  1. ↵
    1. Poels PJ,
    2. Schermer TR,
    3. van Weel C,
    4. Calverley PM
    . Spirometry in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. BMJ 2006;333(7574):870-1.
    OpenUrlFREE Full Text
  2. ↵
    1. Walker PP,
    2. Mitchell P,
    3. Diamantea F,
    4. Warlburton CJ,
    5. Davies L
    . Effect of primary care spirometry on the diagnosis and management of COPD. Eur Respir J 2006;28(5):945-52.
    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
  3. ↵
    1. Poels PJ,
    2. Schermer TR,
    3. van Weel C
    . Underuse of spirometry in the diagnosis of COPD. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis 2005;63(4):234-5.
    OpenUrlPubMed
  4. ↵
    1. D’Urzo AD,
    2. Tamari I,
    3. Bouchard J,
    4. Jhirad R,
    5. Jugovic P
    . A new spirometry interpretation algorithm. Primary Care Respiratory Alliance of Canada approach. Can Fam Physician 2011;57:1148-52.
    OpenUrlFREE Full Text
  5. ↵
    1. D’Urzo AD,
    2. Tamari I,
    3. Bouchard J,
    4. Jhirad R,
    5. Jugovic P
    . Limitations to a spirometry interpretation algorithm. Can Fam Physician 2011;57:1153-6.
    OpenUrlFREE Full Text
  6. ↵
    1. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
    . Expert panel report 3: guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2007.
  7. ↵
    1. O’Donnell DE,
    2. Aaron S,
    3. Bourbeau J,
    4. Hernandez P,
    5. Marciniuk D,
    6. Hodder R,
    7. et al
    . Canadian Thoracic Society recommendations for management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-2007 update. Can Respir J 2007;14(Suppl B):5B-32B.
    OpenUrlPubMed
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Canadian Family Physician: 57 (10)
Canadian Family Physician
Vol. 57, Issue 10
1 Oct 2011
  • Table of Contents
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on The College of Family Physicians of Canada.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Spirometry interpretation in primary care
(Your Name) has sent you a message from The College of Family Physicians of Canada
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the The College of Family Physicians of Canada web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Spirometry interpretation in primary care
Anthony D. D’Urzo
Canadian Family Physician Oct 2011, 57 (10) 1122;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Respond to this article
Share
Spirometry interpretation in primary care
Anthony D. D’Urzo
Canadian Family Physician Oct 2011, 57 (10) 1122;
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Footnotes
    • References
  • eLetters
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • New spirometry interpretation algorithm
  • Limitations of a spirometry interpretation algorithm
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Reflections on the value of Canadian multiculturalism in health care delivery
  • The environmental elephant in the office: medications
  • Six-sentence and 3-citation research proposals
Show more Commentary

Similar Articles

Navigate

  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Archive
  • Collections - English
  • Collections - Française

For Authors

  • Authors and Reviewers
  • Submit a Manuscript
  • Permissions
  • Terms of Use

General Information

  • About CFP
  • About the CFPC
  • Advertisers
  • Careers & Locums
  • Editorial Advisory Board
  • Subscribers

Journal Services

  • Email Alerts
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • RSS Feeds

Copyright © 2025 by The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Powered by HighWire