The Black and White of Medicine

Introduction

Race based corrections (RBCs) have been used in spirometry tests almost since the test’s creation. One of the first large-scale studies done with spirometry was comparing the lung function of free White and enslaved Black Americans to determine a racial difference[2]. We now understand race to be a social construct that has little bearing on genetics[3]. If that is the case, then do we still use race as a corrective factor in spirometry today?

The research was conducted using literature review of peer-reviewed, secondary source documents.