- Institute of Pulmonary Medicine
- 1st Floor, Main Hospital Building
- Trunk Line : (632) 723-0101 ext. 4128 or 5421
Institute of Pulmonary Medicine
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Expert Assessment of Lung FunctionPulmonary function tests are a broad range of tests that measure how your lungs take in and exhale air and how efficiently they transfer oxygen into the blood. Pulmonary function testing is often the first diagnostic test employed in the laboratory workup in patients with suspected pulmonary disease.
Pulmonary function tests are also used to evaluate patients before surgery, manage patients with known pulmonary disease, and measure the degree of the patient’s pulmonary disability.
The Institute of Pulmonary Medicine has a fully equipped Pulmonary Function Test laboratory utilizing a host of sophisticated equipment that aids physicians in evaluating both common and uncommon lung ailments. The Institute performs the following pulmonary function tests:
Spirometry Spirometry measures how well your lungs exhale. The information gathered during this test is useful in diagnosing certain types of lung disorders, but is most useful when assessing for obstructive lung diseases, especially asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Spirometry can also be used to assess your response to treatment and bronchoprovocation, a test that attempts to provoke mild bronchospasm (narrowing of the airways caused by muscle contraction) in patients in a controlled setting.
Complete Pulmonary Function Test Using state-of-the-art equipment, the Institute performs various pulmonary function studies that measure:
The Complete Pulmonary Function Test helps doctors classify diseases with mixed abnormalities, thereby aiding in proper diagnosis and treatment. Diffusing Capacity Measurement (DLCO) This is a test that measures the ability of your lungs to allow diffusion of gas across the lung tissue. In its simplest sense, diffusing capacity is the ability of gas to cross from the air, across the walls between your lungs’ air sacs (interstitium), and into your blood.
Spontaneous Parameters with Measurement of Tidal Volume
Arterial Blood Gases When your breathing is abnormally fast or slow, when you have difficulty in breathing (dyspnea), or if you have possible problems in your respiration, heart, or kidneys, specialists at the Institute may request a test called arterial blood gases. This test measures the pH level (“acidity” or “alkalinity”) and the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in arterial blood (blood flowing in your arteries). It is vital in the diagnosis of many respiratory diseases.
Lactate Analysis This test measures the level of lactic acid produced in your body, mainly by muscle tissue and red blood cells. Lactic acid is a result of the breakdown of sugars (carbohydrates) for energy when the oxygen level in your body is low. When a normal amount of oxygen is available to the body's cells, carbohydrates normally break down into water and carbon dioxide. Therefore, the amount of lactic acid in the blood depends on how much oxygen is available to the body.
Lactic acid levels rise when strenuous exercise or other conditions such as heart failure, a severe infection, or shock reduce the flow of blood and delivery of oxygen throughout your body. Lactic acid levels can also rise when the liver is severely damaged or diseased, because the liver normally breaks down lactic acid. Very high levels of lactic acid cause a serious, sometimes life-threatening condition called lactic acidosis.
Pulse Oximetry Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive and painless way of measuring the amount of oxygen in your blood by means of a clip-like instrument that attaches to your finger or earlobe and linked to a computerized unit.
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