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A bronchial challenge test is a medical test used to assist in the diagnosis of asthma. [1] The patient breathes in nebulized methacholine or histamine. Thus the test may also be called a methacholine challenge test or histamine challenge test respectively. Both drugs provoke bronchoconstriction, or narrowing of the airways.
Spirometry can also be part of a bronchial challenge test, used to determine bronchial hyperresponsiveness to either rigorous exercise, inhalation of cold/dry air, or with a pharmaceutical agent such as methacholine or histamine.
Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (or other combinations with airway or hyperreactivity, BH used as a general abbreviation) [1] is a state characterised by easily triggered bronchospasm (contraction of the bronchioles or small airways). Bronchial hyperresponsiveness can be assessed with a bronchial challenge test.
Methacholine is primarily used to diagnose bronchial hyperreactivity, [1] which is the hallmark of asthma and also occurs in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.This is accomplished through the bronchial challenge test, or methacholine challenge, in which a subject inhales aerosolized methacholine, leading to bronchoconstriction.
Pulmonary function testing (PFT) is a complete evaluation of the respiratory system including patient history, physical examinations, and tests of pulmonary function. The primary purpose of pulmonary function testing is to identify the severity of pulmonary impairment. [ 1 ]
Medication challenge tests, such as the methacholine challenge test, have a lower sensitivity for detection of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in athletes and are also not a recommended first-line approach in the evaluation of exercise-induced asthma. [13] Mannitol inhalation [14] [15] has been recently approved for use in the United States.
On his doctor’s urging, Steves had taken a prostate-specific antigen blood test (PSA) for the first time ever. “That probably saved my life,” he says. “That probably saved my life,” he says.
Its specificity is comparable to bronchial challenge testing, although less sensitive. [15] [16] This means that a positive eNO test might be useful to rule in a diagnosis of asthma; however, a negative test might not be as useful to rule it out. [17]