Obstructive airway disease(OAD) is one of the most common lung diseases that block airflow and make it difficult to breathe. Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder(COPD) contribute to the majority of the OAD burden in India. It is very important to identify and diagnose these diseases at an early stage and track their progression.
There are many methods/tests to diagnose lung disorder, spirometry being the most commonly performed lung function test in clinical practice and is considered to be the gold standard diagnostic test for OAD. However, this test requires the patient to completely cooperate and forcefully exhale and inhale with its full physical capacity which is usually not possible with small children, elderly people, and those with physical and cognitive limitations. CT scans can also be performed, but COPD being considered a small airway disease, it is difficult to observe the damaged alveoli (tiny air sacs) in the scan, 80 to 90% of the alveoli would be damaged before it could be clearly visible in CT scans.
While the existing methods do help in the diagnosis of lung disorders, but they have major drawbacks. Given that India has a disproportionately high burden of chronic respiratory diseases, it is important to find an alternative test that is easier, cheaper, which requires minimal cooperation from the patient and is also equally or more sensitive compared to the gold standard spirometry test.
Would love to know your opinion on the increasing burden of obstructive airway diseases, your experiences if you have undergone any of the tests and if there is any need for an alternative method compared to the test used currently by the healthcare practitioners.
Is there a need for a better lung function test?
Is there a need for a better lung function test?
Is there a need for a better lung function test?
Obstructive airway disease(OAD) is one of the most common lung diseases that block airflow and make it difficult to breathe. Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder(COPD) contribute to the majority of the OAD burden in India. It is very important to identify and diagnose these diseases at an early stage and track their progression.
There are many methods/tests to diagnose lung disorder, spirometry being the most commonly performed lung function test in clinical practice and is considered to be the gold standard diagnostic test for OAD. However, this test requires the patient to completely cooperate and forcefully exhale and inhale with its full physical capacity which is usually not possible with small children, elderly people, and those with physical and cognitive limitations. CT scans can also be performed, but COPD being considered a small airway disease, it is difficult to observe the damaged alveoli (tiny air sacs) in the scan, 80 to 90% of the alveoli would be damaged before it could be clearly visible in CT scans.
While the existing methods do help in the diagnosis of lung disorders, but they have major drawbacks. Given that India has a disproportionately high burden of chronic respiratory diseases, it is important to find an alternative test that is easier, cheaper, which requires minimal cooperation from the patient and is also equally or more sensitive compared to the gold standard spirometry test.
Would love to know your opinion on the increasing burden of obstructive airway diseases, your experiences if you have undergone any of the tests and if there is any need for an alternative method compared to the test used currently by the healthcare practitioners.