Search

Developing countries face a huge challenge in managing obstructive lung disorders due to frequency, severity, management, and economic impact. Spirometry has been the popular choice to assess the severity and reversibility of airflow obstruction, but the success of evaluation depends on the practitioner’s skills and the patient’s cooperation. Impulse oscillometry (IOS), a variant of forced oscillation technique is preferred over spirometry since it can be performed without forced respiratory maneuvers. The objective of this review is to evaluate IOS techniques and weigh its benefits against spirometry. Publications from international electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched using relevant keywords for 5 years (2018–2023). A total of 416 articles were filtered, and of these, 70 were selected which specifically discussed the principles, procedures, parameters, and interpretations of spirometry and oscillometry. From the full-text articles included, we have reflected on the history, defined, explained, compared, and contrasted spirometry and oscillometry methods to establish the versatility of oscillometry technique to identify small airway functions and its application in special clinical conditions. This review presents an easily comprehensible synthesis of oscillometry and spirometry bringing out the principles, advantages, and limitations that are suitable for a larger spectrum of healthcare and research community.

Background: Inhalation therapy with corticosteroids and long-acting β 2 -agonists has been the mainstay of asthma management. However, choosing the correct inhaler technique is essential to effectively deliver the medication to the lungs to attain good asthma control. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate asthma control and device usability with salmeterol/fluticasone fixed-dose combination (FDC) administered through Synchrobreathe ® , a breath-actuated inhaler (BAI), in Indian patients with persistent asthma (EVOLVE study). Design: The present study was a prospective, open-label, non-comparative, multi-center, observational study. Methods: The study enrolled 490 patients with documented diagnoses of asthma who were treatment-naive or uncontrolled due to poor inhaler technique associated with a previous device. The primary endpoint was a change from baseline in the Asthma Control Questionnaire-6 (ACQ-6) score at week 12. Results: Mean ACQ-6 score reduced from 2.2 ± 1.07 (baseline) to 0.4 ± 0.49 (mean change: –1.9 ± 1.12, p