Spirometry is the most common of the pulmonary function tests. It measures lung function, specifically the amount and/or speed of air that can be inhaled and exhaled. Spirometry is helpful in assessing breathing patterns that identify conditions such as lung damage from Covid-19, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and COPD.

Most children can do spirometry by age 6, though some preschoolers are able to perform the test at a younger age. Your child will be asked to wear a nose clip to keep him or her from breathing through his or her nose during the test.

Indications. Spirometry is used to establish baseline lung function, evaluate dyspnea, detect pulmonary disease, monitor effects of therapies used to treat respiratory disease, evaluate respiratory impairment or disability, evaluate operative risk, and perform surveillance for occupational-related lung disease.