Accuracy of Balloons and Handheld Spirometers as Low-Cost Tools for Measuring Vital Capacity and Air Volume: A Laboratory-Based Validation Study

Key Points

• Analogue and digital spirometers, along with balloon techniques, produced accurate measures of vital capacity.
• Error patterns identified allowed for correction, achieving reliable vital capacity estimates using low-cost tools.
• Laboratory validation effectively assessed the performance of balloon-based and handheld spirometers in measuring air volume.
• Use of these techniques may significantly enhance access to vital capacity testing in outpatient and home health environments.