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Pulmonary function testing is a diagnostic and management tool used for a variety of reasons, such as: Diagnose lung disease. Monitor the effect of chronic diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, or cystic fibrosis. Detect early changes in lung function. Identify narrowing in the airways.
t. e. Doing spirometry. Spirometry (meaning the measuring of breath) is the most common of the pulmonary function tests (PFTs). It measures lung function, specifically the amount (volume) and/or speed (flow) of air that can be inhaled and exhaled.
The peak expiratory flow (PEF), also called peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and peak flow measurement, [1] is a person's maximum speed of expiration, as measured with a peak flow meter, a small, hand-held device used to monitor a person's ability to breathe out air. It measures the airflow through the bronchi and thus the degree of obstruction ...
In obstructive lung disease, the FEV1 is reduced due to an obstruction of air escaping from the lungs. Thus, the FEV1/FVC ratio will be reduced. [4] More specifically, according to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, the diagnosis of COPD is made when the FEV 1 /FVC ratio is less than 0.7 or [8] the FEV 1 is less than 75% of predicted; [9] however, other authoritative bodies have ...
The helium dilution technique is the way of measuring the functional residual capacity of the lungs (the volume left in the lungs after normal expiration). This technique is a closed-circuit system where a spirometer is filled with a mixture of helium (He) and oxygen. The amount of He in the spirometer is known at the beginning of the test ...
Respiratory examination. A respiratory examination, or lung examination, is performed as part of a physical examination, [1] in response to respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, or chest pain, and is often carried out with a cardiac examination. The four steps of the respiratory exam are inspection, palpation, percussion, and ...
Lung compliance. Lung compliance, or pulmonary compliance, is a measure of the lung 's ability to stretch and expand (distensibility of elastic tissue). In clinical practice it is separated into two different measurements, static compliance and dynamic compliance. Static lung compliance is the change in volume for any given applied pressure. [1]
Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), also known as bronchoalveolar washing, is a diagnostic method of the lower respiratory system in which a bronchoscope is passed through the mouth or nose into an appropriate airway in the lungs, with a measured amount of fluid introduced and then collected for examination. This method is typically performed to ...