Abstract
Background. The diagnosis of obstructive ventilatory disorders in children in Benin is not reliable despite the inclusion of ethnic correction factors for European standards (ERS-93) and the use of African-American standards (ITS-Black). Objectives. (1) Define standard values for forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and (2) compare the FVC and FEV1 values observed in study subjects to those calculated by the ERS-93 and ITS-Black equations. Methods. FVC and FEV1 were measured using the MicroQuark Spirometer (Cosmed, Italy), and standing height was measured in 274 Beninese boys and 210 Beninese girls. The means and 95% confidence intervals for these values were calculated by univariate analysis. Results. FVC and FEV1 values calculated using the ERS-93 equations were significantly higher () than the measured values from our study. The percent change between the standard values in our study and the standards calculated using the ERS-93 and ITS-Black equations revealed differences between Beninese children and children of European or African-American descent. Conclusion. The differences observed between study samples and those derived from the ITS-Black and the ERS-93 equations should be used as ethnic correction factors.
Highlights
The diagnosis of bronchial obstruction, the early identification of lung diseases, the monitoring of lung growth, and the apogee and decline in lung function over time are all important characteristics to consider in the clinical management of respiratory disease
(1) Define standard values for forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and (2) compare the FVC and FEV1 values observed in study subjects to those calculated by the ERS-93 and ITS-Black equations
The differences observed between study samples and those derived from the ITS-Black and the ERS-93 equations should be used as ethnic correction factors
Summary
The diagnosis of bronchial obstruction, the early identification of lung diseases, the monitoring of lung growth, and the apogee and decline in lung function over time are all important characteristics to consider in the clinical management of respiratory disease. African authors have shown that the lung volumes of African children are approximately 20% lower than those of Caucasian children of equal height [8]. These results have necessitated the use of correction factors [9] that are increasingly being integrated into the software of new generations of spirometers. The diagnosis of obstructive ventilatory disorders in children in Benin is not reliable despite the inclusion of ethnic correction factors for European standards (ERS-93) and the use of African-American standards (ITS-Black). The percent change between the standard values in our study and the standards calculated using the ERS-93 and ITS-Black equations revealed differences between Beninese children and children of European or African-American descent. The differences observed between study samples and those derived from the ITS-Black and the ERS-93 equations should be used as ethnic correction factors
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