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Eucapnic Voluntary Hyperpnea: Gold Standard for Diagnosing Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction in Athletes?

Hull, James H, Ansley, Les, Price, Oliver J, Dickinson, John W., Bonini, Matteo (2016) Eucapnic Voluntary Hyperpnea: Gold Standard for Diagnosing Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction in Athletes? Sports Medicine, 46 (8). pp. 1083-1093. ISSN 1179-2035. (doi:10.1007/s40279-016-0491-3) (KAR id:57159)

Abstract

In athletes, a secure diagnos is of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is dependent on objective testing. Evaluating spirometric indices of airflow before and following an exercise bout is intuitively the optimal means for the diagnosis; however, this approach is recognized as having several key limitations. Accordingly, alternative indirect bronchoprovocation tests have been recommended as surrogate means for obtaining a diagnosis of EIB. Of these tests, it is often argued that the eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea (EVH) challenge represents the 'gold standard'. This article provides a state-of-the-art review of EVH, including an overview of the test methodology and its interpretation. We also address the performance of EVH against the other functional and clinical approaches commonly adopted for the diagnosis of EIB. The published evidence supports a key role for EVH in the diagnostic algorithm for EIB testing in athletes. However, its wide sensitivity and specificity and poor repeatability preclude EVH from being termed a 'gold standard' test for EIB.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1007/s40279-016-0491-3
Subjects: R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC1200 Sports medicine
R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC1235 Physiology of sports
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Sport and Exercise Sciences
Depositing User: John Dickinson
Date Deposited: 09 Sep 2016 13:52 UTC
Last Modified: 09 Dec 2022 02:16 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/57159 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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