Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40196940›Full record

ArticleThoracic research and practice2025

Nationwide Assessment of Pulmonary Function Testing Practices and Safety Compliance During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Aslı Görek Dilektaşlı, Şermin Börekçi, Öznur Akkoca Yıldız, Bilun Gemicioğlu, Cüneyt Saltürk, Sevgi Behiye Saryal, Gaye Ulubay

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Article in Thoracic research and practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Aslı Görek DilektaşlıDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, Bursa Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, TürkiyeORCID 0000-0001-7099-9647
Şermin BörekçiDepartment of Pulmonary Diseases, İstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, TürkiyeORCID 0000-0002-0089-1312
Öznur Akkoca YıldızDepartment of Chest Diseases, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, TürkiyeORCID 0000-0002-5379-6829
Bilun GemicioğluDepartment of Pulmonary Diseases, İstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, TürkiyeORCID 0000-0001-5953-4881
Cüneyt SaltürkDepartment of Chest Diseases, Medipol University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, TürkiyeORCID 0000-0001-7459-9210
Sevgi Behiye SaryalDepartment of Chest Diseases, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, TürkiyeORCID 0000-0001-5062-5226
Gaye UlubayDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, TürkiyeORCID 0000-0003-2478-9985

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveCoronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) presented considerable challenges to health services, particularly for a routine assessment method, the pulmonary function tests (PFTs), which can generate aerosols and require sharing common surfaces. Despite these risks, there is a need to continue testing, especially for vulnerable patient groups. MATERIAL AND

methodsAn online survey was conducted from June 1 to June 26, 2020, to assess pulmonologists’ practices regarding PFTs before and during the pandemic’s first peak in Türkiye (March 11-May 20, 2020). The survey included 30 anonymized questions and received ethical committee approval. Statistical analysis was performed using the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences statistical package.

resultsTwo hundred and forty-three respondents across 59 cities participated in the study. 93% were pulmonologists. 77.4% of PFT labs have adequate ventilation by having a window enabling room direct air exchange. 27.2% of the PFT labs continued testing during the first peak of the pandemic. 83.3% of the responding centers applied triage before testing. Ongoing tests included spirometry (100%), bronchodilator reversibility testing (62.1%), and carbon-monoxide diffusion testing (16.7%). 49% of the PFT labs conducted fewer than four tests daily, while 21.2% performed more than eight. PFT technicians used personal protective equipment, with 67.7% using eye protection and 75.3 % wearing FFP3 or FFP2 masks.

conclusionThe survey found that pulmonologists have acted quickly and made moderate success in making preparations in PFT labs for the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, safer practice in PFT units still needs to be implemented.

Indexed as

COVID-19occupational safetyPulmonary function testing

Identifiers

PMID40196940
PMCPMC12047193

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.