Pulmonary Function tests Flashcards
4 obstructive lung diseases Needing to know for pulmonary function tests?
COPD, asthma, bronchiectasis, and cystic fibrosis
4 restrictive lung diseases?
ILD, chest wall pathology, obesity, and neuromuscular disease
2 pulmonary vascular diseases to know related to pulmonary function exams?
Pulmonary hypertension and chronic emboli being sent to the lungs.
What are the 4 factors we need to know for each patient that will help in predicting pulmonary function values?
Height, age, gender and ethnicity
6 common indications for a pulmonary function test?
- Investigate because patient has pulmonary disease symptoms
- Monitor a patient with a disease who is being treated
- Patient has disease that may have respiratory complications
- Preoperative eval
- Screening patient who is at risk for lung disease
- Post lung transplant monitoring
6 contraindications for pulmonary function test?
recent MI Unstable angina Recent thoraco abdominal surgery Recent eye surgery Thoraco abdominal aneurysm Current pneumothorax
What is the FVC, FEV1 and ratio in obstructive disease?
All low
What does markedly elevated residual volume mean and what percentage is considered hyperinflation?
Air trapping, obstructive. 120%.
What does a flattening of both the inspiratory and expiratory limbs on the flow volume loop mean and in what setting do we see this in frequently?
Fixed upper airway obstruction.
This can happen in patients with a prior history of tracheostomy which can cause tracheal stenosis.
What are we thinking if there is a flattening of only the inspiratory limb of the flow volume loop?
Extra thoracic obstruction like a thyroid tumor for example.
What are we thinking if there is a flattening of the expiratory limb of the flow volume loop only?
Intra-thoracic obstruction like a carcinoid tumor in the bronchi.
What is going on with FEV1, FVC and the ratio for restrictive?
FEV1 and FVC are down, but the ratio is normal or usually elevated.
What also is very low for us to diagnose restrictive lung disease?
TLC
What does DLCO tell us?
Alveolar capillary surface area for gas exchange.
What is one important thing I am thinking/looking at when doing a pulmonary function test with the bronchodilator?
Test for asthma. Does it reverse or correct their crappy pulmonary function test without it.
