Simple diagnostic tool for asthma,COPD remains unknown: Survey

Spirometry,a dignostic tool for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease remains poorly utilised in clinical practice,with few people having even heard of it,a survey has found out

Spirometry,a dignostic tool for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains poorly utilised in clinical practice,with few people having even heard of it,a survey has found out. The survey conducted by Pune-based Chest Research Foundation across 24 cities in the country found that 89 per cent of people had never heard of spirometry,which is what a thermometer is for fever,a BP machine (sphygmomanometer) for Blood Pressure and a glucometer for blood sugar.

While there is lack of awareness about spirometry,a gold standard diagnostic test for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,in contrast,almost 70 per cent of respondents knew what an ECG is,said Dr Sundeep Salvi,Director,CRF.

June 27 is observed as World Spirometry Day and as part of the activities like sending SMSes to over a lakh people to take care of their lungs,the survey was also conducted among 555 people.

In Pune,97 per cent of the people interviewed at bus stops,malls and other public spots were aware about sonography,ECG and other tests but barely 7 per cent were knew about spirometry. The sample size surveyed in Pune was 125 persons,Dr Monica Barne,Head,Training Programmes Division,CRF said.

On a daily basis,we inhale 10,000 litres of air,which more often than not is laden with toxic gases from pollution,household smoke from chulhas,incense sticks,mosquito coils,toxic fumes from chemicals,different allergens like dust,smoke,fungal spores and animal dander.. All these have a detrimental effect on lungs and spirometry can help us assess the effect of all these substances on our lungs. Its the most objective diagnostic tool for asthma and COPD,the two diseases that lead to obstruction of the airways, Barne said.

About half a million people die every year due to COPD in India,which is over four times the number of people who die due to COPD in USA and Europe. According to a report published by the Maharashtra State Health Resource Centre in March 2010,COPD is the leading cause of death in Maharashtra,causing more deaths than those due to ischemic heart disease,stroke and diabetes put together.

Clinicians are not aware that relying on history and clinical examination only to diagnose these diseases underestimates the disease in over 50 per cent of cases. In this modern era where diagnostic tools dominate clinical practice in other disease conditions,spirometry is an often badly neglected diagnostic tool,Salvi added.

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Spirometry is actually as easy to conduct and interpret as an ECG and sonography, Dr Salvi said.

In teaching in medical colleges,too,spirometry is not given enough stress,Barne said. Thats one of the reasons why the CRF has developed distance education programmes and a unique online quality assurance programme to promote use of this diagnostic tool all over the country.

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