Is there a discrepancy between a physical law and the spirometric definition of airflow obstruction?

Masoud R and Hosseini B Mahdi

Abstract

Background: It has long been emphasized that if physicians rely on clinical signs and symptoms only, they may under-diagnose many of the airflow-limited patients. But what if they rely on spirometry alone and overlook physical examinations as the case is now? Interesting studies on physics of sounds show that wheezing is definitely indicative of an airflow limitation, but, according to current guidelines, presence or absence of wheezes has not been taken into consideration for diagnosis. The purpose of present study was to detect the degree of spirometric deterioration in patients who were physically presumed to have definite airflow obstruction, namely diffuse bilateral wheezes