The use of office spirometry was recommended by the National Lung Health Education Program (NLHEP) consensus conference in 1999 for detection and management of COPD. Since that time, spirometry utilization has increased, but its role in the diagnosis of COPD is still evolving. This update reviews the role of spirometry for screening and case finding in COPD as well as for asthma. Spirometry has been used for disease management in patients with airway obstruction, with varying results. The diagnostic criteria for COPD using spirometry have also evolved in the past 17 years, with differences arising between the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease and NLHEP recommendations. More sophisticated spirometers as well as new reference equations are widely available. Standardization guidelines from the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society published in 2005 provide a robust framework for performing and interpreting spirometry, but clinicians still need hands-on training and meaningful feedback to perform high-quality spirometry in the office setting.
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