All issues > Volume 44(8); 2001

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 2001;44(8):916-921. Published online August 15, 2001.

Evaluation of the Severity in Patients with Bronchial Asthma Using FEF25-75%

Sun Yoon SY Jung¹, Eun Sil ES Lee¹, Young Hwan YH Lee¹, Han Ku HK Moon¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea

Abstract

Purpose
: Spirometry, because of its simplicity and reproducibility, has been used to evaluate pulmonary function in childhood asthma. We investigated whether FEF25-75% is the most sensitive parameter among other spirometric parameters in the diagnosis of pulmonary function and airway obstruction.
Methods
: This study included 32 children with asthma. We recorded values of spirometry(FVC, FEV1, PEFR, and FEF25-75%) before and after symptomatic improvement and compared them. The values were recorded as a percent of the predicted normal value.
Results
: The FEV1 value before and after symptomatic improvement was 71.7?5.6% and 83.8?2.8%, respectively; PEFR was 75.4?8.3% and 85.0?6.0%; and FEF25-75% was 60.8?7.9% and 81.5?6.3%. According to symptomatic improvement, FEF25-75% improved more than the other spirometric parameters. Of the 40 cases of spitometric measurement before symptomatic improvement, abnormal FEV1, PEFR, FEF25-75% values were observed in 25, 17 and 28 cases, respectively. There was statistically significant difference between FEF25-75% and PEFR(P=0.005), but not between FEF25-75% and FEV1(P=0.091). After symptomatic improvement, abnormal FEV1, PEFR, and FEF25-75% values were observed in 14, 12 and 9 cases, respectively. There was statistically significant difference between FEF25-75% and FEV1(P=0.044) but not between FEF25-75% and PEFR (P=0.097). The cases of normalized values with symptomatic improvement, 11 in FEV1, 7 in PEFR and 19 in FEF25-75%.
Conclusion
: FEF25-75% showed the most improvement rate before and after symptomatic improvement. FEF25-75% was helpful in the assessment of treatment effectiveness and reversible bronchial responsiveness. However, this study did not suggest that FEF25-75% is the most sensitive measurement of airway obstruction.

Keywords :Bronchial asthma, Spirometry, FEF25-75%, Childhood