A compendium and review of pediatric pulmonary function testing assessment opportunities for asthma

Objective: Standard spirograms are widely used in the respiratory disease management community to help diagnosis asthma and provide longitudinal information. Surprisingly, basic information obtained on the spirogram, beyond the FEV₁ and change in FEV₁ after bronchodilator is underutilized. We reviewed information on pulmonary function and bronchodilator response in children since 2016. We present here a discussion of other element of the standard spirogram that can be used for pediatric asthma management. Methods: Medline search of pulmonary function, children, adolescents, bronchodilator reversibility, small airway disease, small airway function, asthma, airflow limitation, bronchodilator response. Studies since 2016 that provide information on normal or asthmatic children bronchodilator response, and/or small airway or pulmonary function values after albuterol. Results: Limited data has been published on FEV₁ bronchodilator response in children since 2016. Other parameters of the pulmonary function test in children have had recent documentation. Conclusions: New data on FEV₁ bronchodilator response in normal children is limited since 2016. However, other details of pulmonary function interpretation in asthmatic children has had considerable attention, and are reviewed here.