Lung Services

Pulmonary Function Testing

A pulmonary function test is a simple and completely painless test preformed here in our facility. The test takes on an average of 25 to 30 minutes and involves a series of breathing exercises designed to measure lung capacity. It tells how well the lungs exhale detecting restrictive lung diseases which may be caused by inflammation or scarring of the lung tissue or by abnormalities of the skeleton of the chest wall or muscles estimating how well the lungs transfer oxygen from the air into the bloodstream.

Why is the test performed?

The test is performed to diagnose certain types of lung diseases such as COPD, Asthma, and Emphysema and to determine the cause of shortness of breath, to measure effectiveness of medications, and to measure the progression of the disease.

Spirometry

A Spirometry is a partial version of a Pulmonary Function Test. The test takes on an average of 10-15min. It measures air you can breathe out and in as well as how fast you can exhale and inhale.

Six Minute Walk

This test measures the distance that a patient can walk in a period of six minutes. A Six Minute Walk Test assesses exercise capacity and oxygen saturation during exercise. The patient wears a finger probe while walking with a technician. During the test blood oxygen level and heart rate is monitored. This is a very simple, non-invasive way to determine blood oxygen level. Results from this test are useful in determining the need for oxygen therapy.

Overnight Pulse Oximetry

An overnight pulse oximetry test is a done at home while you sleep. It involves measuring your oxygen saturation levels while you sleep through the night by putting a clip on your finger. The machine connected to the sensor records all data overnight. This test can be performed on room air, on nocturnal, on CPAP/BiPAP, or on CPAP/BiPAP with nocturnal oxygen bled in. The overnight pulse oximetry test can be used to qualify a patient to be on or off nocturnal supplement oxygen. This test can also be used to determine if further testing is required.

Advise to Lung Patients

• Quit smoking, stay non-smoker.
• Follow-up on CT Scan if you have smoked more than 20 years & between age group 50-80.
• If you have had an abnormal CT Scan, follow-up with your primary case physician & he/she will guide you for ongoing case in the right direction.