Article topics: Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Guidelines, Reversibility, Spirometry
Spirometry is very easy to do, and very easy to get wrong (Martin, 2010; personal communication). Not only is quality
assured spirometry dependent on the effort exerted by the patient, and the technical ability of the spirometer operator,
but also on the understanding of the results by the person interpreting them.
Interpretation of the results is essential if any meaningful decision is to be made about the patient’s care.