Spirometry remains the most widely employed pulmonary function test (PFT) and the definitive standard for diagnosing and monitoring obstructive lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the third leading cause …

Pulmonary function is significantly impaired after major abdominal surgery Treschan et al. ( 2017 ); Treschan et al. ( 2012 ). Consequently, the risk of complications such as pneumonia, respiratory failure, and prolonged hospitalization increases …

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is used to describe a group of diseases with differing aetiology that share clinical, radiological and histopathological features of progressive fibrosis or inflammation of the lung parenchyma. Both inflammation and …

According to the Global Cancer Statistics 2020, lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. It is estimated that there are 2.2 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths, accounting for 11.4 and 18.0% …

COPD is a common, preventable, and treatable disease characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitations, typically associated with airway and (or) alveolar abnormalities caused by significant exposure to harmful particles or …

Chronic exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) is a risk factor for development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) [ 1 – 3 ]. Lung function studies in people with history of long-term occupational exposure to SHS have shown the …

Preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm), also known as restrictive spirometry, is defined as a reduced forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) with a normal FEV 1 /forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio that does not meet the criteria for chronic …

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease estimated to affect 262 million people globally [ 1 ]. Asthma is characterized by symptoms of shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing, often leading to frequent healthcare visits and absenteeism. A missed …

With the renewed therapeutic and management modality, the mortality with myocardial infarction (MI) has decreased considerably for patients in the past two decades [ 1 ]. Therefore, effectively improving the remaining quality of life of myocardial …

Experimental diagnosis of respiratory diseases, their intensity, and prognosis are principally dependent on spirometric results [ 1 ]. Accurate interpretation of spirometry requires standardized reference values that are predicted from its …

Although race is a social construct with no biological basis, racial adjustment of pulmonary function measurement remains standard practice. Race-specific spirometry reference equations lower the limits of normal lung function in people who …

An acquired benign subglottic stenosis in adults (SGS) is a rare condition that causes airway obstruction and may lead to severe respiratory distress. In a SGS, the region between the inferior arcuate line of the vocal cords and the lower margin …

Restrictive lung function is defined as reduced lung expansion expressed as a decreased total lung capacity. It may reflect several underlying conditions and diseases, such as interstitial lung diseases, pleural effusions and disorders, thoracic …

Spirometry is the “gold standard” measure of airflow obstruction, which is defined as a FEV1/FVC less than the lower limit of normal [ 1 ]. In early chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), terminal bronchiole obliteration is the initial …

Worldwide, more than 140 million people reside above 2500 m [ 1 ]. Studying high-altitude dwellers is essential to understand the environmental, physiological and genetic factors that are linked to the incidence and prevalence of different maladies …

Methacholine challenge tests (MCTs) are used to detect and assess airway hyperreactivity (AHR). MCT has a negative predictive value of almost 90% for the provocative concentration causing a 20% fall (PC20) in forced expiratory volume in one second …