Anecdotal evidence from numerous clinicians reveals that even for COPD patients for whom spirometry is not explicitly contraindicated, the test is stressful and exhausting. A typical geriatric spirometry test can last 30 minutes. Successful spirometry depends on patient cooperation and maximal effort, therefore the success of a test is severely jeopardized in patients who have difficulty in understanding and following instructions, including young children.
In contrast, oscillometry was shown in a study to be successful in nearly 100% of school aged children and in 70-80% of older pre-schoolers.3 In another study comparing oscillometry and spirometry in patients 65 and older, all were capable of producing a valid oscillometry test whereas valid spirometry was completed in only 33.4% of the participants.4