Novel approaches for the management of lung disease in children

The measurement of lung function is a key component in the decision making process for the diagnosis and evaluation of the severity of airways diseases so that appropriate therapy can be established. However, it is well established that the preschool age group (<6 years) has commonly difficulties in performing the forceful expiratory manoeuvres required, and patient co-operation is essential for reliable measurement. Tidal breathing techniques such as multiple breath washout (MBW)and forced oscillation techniques such as impulse oscillometry (IOS), are becoming increasingly popular in the early detection of lung disease in preschool aged children not only due to their ability to detect peripheral airways conditions such as cystic fibrosis but due to the minimal patient cooperation required for the completion of these measurements. Both of these techniques are gaining credibility as diagnostic tools in preschool aged children, although the usefulness of these techniques in determining asthma development and other respiratory diseases in preschool aged children, remains to be established.