ABSTRACT
Accurate measurement of pulmonary function is important in investigating and managing respiratory problems in the young. Pulmonary function tests are key in diagnosing illness, characterising and quantifying physiological impairment, longitudinally monitoring lung health, establishing effectiveness of therapeutic interventions, and helping to assess the risk of intervention, e.g., surgery. This chapter discusses the range of pulmonary function tests available, with reference to specific diseases. In contrast, exercise tests provide insight into the dynamic, integrated function of the respiratory, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal systems. In doing so, they objectively measure functional capability which has a direct relationship with quality of life. Exercise testing can be conducted using gold-standard, resource-dependent laboratory cardiopulmonary exercise testing or less expensive field tests. Consideration is given to the reliability, validity, technical limitations, and feasibility of all tests in the paediatric population, recognising how pulmonary function and exercise tests are modified throughout childhood and into adolescence affecting the scope and complexity of investigation. The value of combining both static lung function and dynamic exercise tests are promoted in order to provide a comprehensive physiological overview of respiratory disease status in children. More work is needed to look into how different disease processes and physiological abnormalities in the young relate to exercise performance and how this relates to longer term health outcomes.
