Office spirometry, traditionally done by the pulmonary specialist, has become commonplace in the pediatric primary care office. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program guidelines recommend routine use of spirometry for the initial diagnosis and ongoing management of asthma. A nationwide survey demonstrated that only 21% of physicians used spirometry for the management of children with asthma, as per the guidelines. And, approximately one half of the physicians were unable to interpret the results of spirometry. Office spirometry has been shown to result in change in asthma management in 15% of children. In 45% of cases, the severity of asthma was underrated by the providers in the absence of spirometry.
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