Indications for lung testing

Question 1

indications for lung testing

Answer 1

1. Investigation of patients with symptoms/signs/tests that suggest pulmonary disease e.g. cough/wheezing, chest deformity, abnormal chest x-ray, hypoxemia
2. Monitoring of patients with known disease for progression or response to treatment e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
3. Investigation of patients with disease that may have a respiratory complication e.g. Guillain-Barré
4. Preoperative evaluation e.g. lung reduction surgery
5. Screening/evaluation of patients at risk for lung disease e.g. smokers, occupational exposure, bleomycin
6. Post transplant surveillance e.g. bronchiolitis obliterans

Question 2

contraindications for lung testing

Answer 2

1. Myocardial infarction within the last month
2. Unstable angina
3. Recent thoraco-abdominal surgery
4. Recent ophthalmic surgery
5. Thoracic or abdominal aneurysm
6. Current pneumothorax

Question 3

what does the area above the horizontal line indicate? below the line?

Answer 3

1. expiration flow in liters/s
2. inspiration flow in liters: the liters/s

Question 4

1. DLCO
2. DLCOc
3. DLVA
4. DLVC

Answer 4

1. Diffusing capacity of the lung; the capacity of the lungs to transfer carbon monoxide (mL/min/mm Hg)
2. The DLCO adjusted for hemoglobin (mL/min/mm Hg)
3. The DLVA adjusted for volume (mL/min/mm Hg/L)
4. The DLVC adjusted for both volume and hemoglobin (mL/min/mm Hg/L)