Other Tests of Lung Mechanics: Resistance and Compliance The tests described here are usually performed in fully equipped laboratories. In the outpatient setting, they add relatively little to the basic…
Arterial Blood Gases Arterial blood gas analysis is performed to answer various clinical questions: Is gas exchange normal? Is there carbon dioxide retention in the patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary…
Bronchodilators and Bronchial Challenge Testing When a patient undergoes pulmonary function tests for the first time, it is almost always worthwhile to have spirometry performed before and after the administration…
Diffusing Capacity of the Lungs An important step in the transfer of oxygen from ambient air to the arterial blood is the process of diffusion, that is, the transfer of…
Static (Absolute) Lung Volumes Measures of the so-called static (or absolute) lung volumes are often informative.1 The most important are the vital capacity (VC), residual volume (RV), and total lung…
Spirometry: Dynamic Lung Volumes Spirometry is used to measure the rate at which the lung changes volume during forced breathing maneuvers. The most commonly performed test uses the forced expiratory…
Introduction Pulmonary function tests can provide important clinical information, yet they are vastly underused. They are designed to identify and quantify defects and abnormalities in the function of the respiratory…
