Lung function tests

Roaming across the internet I came across your very complete and well-done site. To my knowledge lung function tests are still frequently carried out by people who have received little training, and many of them do not have access to vital information relating to quality assurance and the like. I have recently been responsible, with Dr. Paul Enright, for the quality control in a worldwide clinical trial, and alas, it was obvious that in many laboratories the quality of spirometry was not up to standards. I have been very much engaged in the field of promoting good quality of spirometric tests, and I am the author of extensively used and cited reports issued by the European Respiratory Society^1-3, and have also contributed to reports by the American Thoracic Society⁴. With Prof. Tammeling I am also author of «Contours of Breathing», which was distributed by Boehringer In-gelheim⁵ and, I am told, still used for educational purposes. Arising from this background maybe you are interested to know that I have started a site (www.spirxpert.com) where I provide extensive infor-mation about spirometry, the (patho)physiological backgrounds, how to perform tests, bronchodilatation, interpretation of test results, etc. It also include the paediatric age range. If you wish you can provide a link on your site (How to perform, assess and interpret spirometry: www.spirxpert.com). I have no commercial interests, the site is accessible for free to anyone.

Philip H. Quanjer

Em Professor of Physiology, Leiden University, The Netherlands
e-mail: pquanjer@xs4all.nl

1. Quanjer PH et al. Standardized lung function testing. Report Working Party Standardization of Lung Function Tests' and Official Statement of the European Respiratory Society Eur Respir J 1993; 6 (Suppl): 5-10.
2. Quanjer PH (ed). Standardization of lung function tests in paediatrics. Eur Respir J 1989; 2 (suppl 4): 121s-264s.
3. Quanjer PH, Lebowitz MD, Gregg I, Miller MR, Pedersen OF. Peak expiratory flow: conclusions and recommen-dations of a Working Party of the European Respiratory Society. Official ERS Statement. Eur Respir J 1997; 10 (suppl 24): 2s-8s.
4. American Thoracic Society. Lung function testing: selection of reference values and interpretative strategies. Am Rev Respir Dis 1991; 144: 1202-18.
5. Tammeling GJ, Quanjer PH. Contours of Breathing. Volumes 1 and 2. Boehringer Ingelheim Internal GmbH, 1978 and 1985. Distributed in Dutch, English, French, German and Japanese.