We examined the ability of preschool aged children to meet the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and European Resiratory Society (ERS) goals for spirometry quality and tried to find out the major factor for improving the rate of success of spiromety test in this age group.

Spirometry was performed in 2-6 aged 155 children with chronic cough or suspicious asthma with the recording of maneuver quality measures of forced expiratory time, end-of-test volume, back-extrapolated volume (Vbe), and forced vital capacity (FVC), as well as flow-volume curve. The subjects were tested several times and the two best results in each subject were selected. All criteria for quality control were suggested by ATS/ERS guidelines. The criteria for starting of the test was Vbe <80 mL and Vbe/FVC <12.5%. The criteria for repeatability of the test was that second highest FVC and FEV1 are within 100 mL or 10% of the highest value, whichever is greater. For the criteria for termination of the test for preschool aged children, we evaluated the flow-volume curve

As getting older, the success rate of spirometry increased and rapidly increased after 3 years old. Total success rate of the test was 59.4% (2 years old - 14.3%, 3 years old - 53.7%, 4 years old - 65.1%, 5 years old - 69.7%, 6 years old - 70.8%). The percentage of failure to meet the criteria for starting the test was 6.5%, repeatability of the test was 12.3% and end of the test was 31%. There was a significant difference only in age between success group and failure group. Evaluating the quality control criteria of previous studies, the success rate increased with age.

About 60% of preschool aged children met ATS/ERS goals for spirometry test performance and the success rate was highly correlated with age. It is clearly needed that developing more feasible and suitable criteria for quality control of spirometry test in preschool aged children.