@article {P{\'e}rez-Padilla1167, author = {Rogelio P{\'e}rez-Padilla and Juan Carlos V{\'a}zquez-Garc{\'\i}a and Mar{\'\i}a Nelly M{\'a}rquez and Jos{\'e} Roberto B Jardim and Julio Pertuz{\'e} and Carmen Lisboa and Adriana Mui{\~n}o and Mar{\'\i}a Victorina L{\'o}pez and Carlos T{\'a}lamo and Mar{\'\i}a Montes de Oca and Gonzalo Valdivia and Ana Maria B Menezes and the Latin American COPD Prevalence Study (PLATINO) Team}, title = {The Long-Term Stability of Portable Spirometers Used in a Multinational Study of the Prevalence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease}, volume = {51}, number = {10}, pages = {1167--1171}, year = {2006}, publisher = {Respiratory Care}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: We report the performance of an ultrasound-based portable spirometer (EasyOne) used in a population-based survey of the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, conducted in 5 Latin American cities: S{\~a}o Paulo, Brazil; M{\'e}xico City, M{\'e}xico; Montevideo, Uruguay; Santiago, Chile; and Caracas, Venezuela (the Latin American COPD Prevalence Study [PLATINO]). METHODS: During the survey period (which ranged from 3 months to 6 months in the various locations) we collected daily calibration data from the 70 EasyOne spirometers used in the 5 survey cities. The calibrations were conducted with a 3-L syringe, and the calibration data were stored in the spirometer{\textquoteright}s database. RESULTS: Ninety-seven percent of the calibration volumes were within {\textpm} 64 mL (2.1\%) of the 3-L calibration signal. Excluding data from the first city studied (S{\~a}o Paulo), where one calibration syringe had to be replaced, 98\% of the calibration checks were within {\textpm} 50 mL (1.7\%). The measured volume was affected only minimally by the syringe{\textquoteright}s peak flow or emptying time. CONCLUSION: In these 70 EasyOne spirometers neither calibration nor linearity changed during the study. Such calibration stability is a valuable feature in spirometry surveys and in the clinical setting.}, issn = {0020-1324}, URL = {https://rc.rcjournal.com/content/51/10/1167}, eprint = {https://rc.rcjournal.com/content/51/10/1167.full.pdf}, journal = {Respiratory Care} }