What is pulmonary function test
Pulmonary function test is one of the necessary tests for respiratory system diseases, which is important for early detection of lung and airway lesions, assessment of disease severity and prognosis, evaluation of the efficacy of drugs or other treatments, identification of the cause of dyspnea, diagnosis of lesion sites, assessment of lung function for tolerance of surgery or labor intensity, and monitoring of critically ill patients.
Who is suitable for pulmonary function test
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and other respiratory diseases should be reviewed regularly to monitor the progression of the disease.
Seasonal coughing and wheezing attacks to see if you have asthma.
Patients with chronic cough, dyspnea, shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and other manifestations clarify the cause.
Patients with recurrent upper respiratory tract infections are observed for damage to lung function.
Patients who smoke and have a chronic cough, or who smoke heavily for a long time look for changes in small airway function.
Chest X-ray abnormalities to determine the degree of lung function damage.
Assessment of surgical risk before anesthesia and surgery, and prediction of postoperative recovery.
Assessment of efficacy and assessment of disease progression after clinical treatment of respiratory diseases.
Health checkup.
What to pay attention to before pulmonary function test
Good cooperation is essential for pulmonary function tests. In order for you to master the test as soon as possible, cooperate correctly with the doctor and obtain reliable results, please prepare as follows.
Rest quietly for 15 minutes before the test.
Practice the action of inhaling deeply through the mouth and then blowing rapidly and forcefully (explosively) for 6 seconds without interruption (e.g., blowing a candle).
You need to stop using the appropriate bronchodilators, such as theophylline, b2 agonists, hormones, anti-allergic drugs, etc., as required by medical advice, please consult your doctor if you do not understand.
Will the pulmonary function test hurt me?
Pulmonary function tests mainly understand a person’s breathing ability and are generally very safe. However, some items may occasionally cause some discomfort, such as cough, chest tightness, tightness of breath, wheezing, palpitations, slight hand tremor, hoarseness, sore throat, dizziness, headache, and redness of the face, etc., which can usually be relieved by themselves after medication or rest. Some patients need to take care to exclude unsuitable conditions before the examination. Please consult your physician.
Patients who are not suitable for pulmonary function tests
Patients with hemoptysis, pneumothorax, large alveoli, or unstable heart function in the last week;
Patients who are allergic to bronchodilators;
Those with laryngeal or vocal cord edema, moderate or more abnormal ventilation should not undergo bronchial stimulation test.
Your doctor will choose the appropriate test for your specific case.
Can children have pulmonary function done?
Pulmonary function tests such as pulmonary ventilation tests, bronchial excitation tests, and bronchodilatation tests can generally be done in children over 5 years of age in cooperation. Pulmonary function tests for infants and children under the age of 3 require special equipment and instruments.
Which children need pulmonary function
Recurrent cough or wheezing;
Cough lasting more than 2-3 weeks and not responding to antibiotic treatment;
Repeated “colds” that have progressed to the lower respiratory tract for more than 10 days;
Assessment of the condition of the child with asthma;
Acute attacks of choking, hoarseness, dyspnea;
Early differentiation of acute bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma in infants and children;
Other respiratory system diseases.
How often to do pulmonary function tests in children with asthma
For this problem, I specifically consulted the national experts in the national lung function group, and the consensus is as follows: the first time to visit the child, once the diagnosis of asthma is confirmed, the initial need to review once a month. After the disease has stabilized, an evaluation should be done every two to three months. Pulmonary function tests facilitate the assessment of the degree of asthma control, whether to reduce the dosage, and to recheck the pulmonary function again one month after the dosage reduction to observe the child’s condition after withdrawal of the medication. In addition, if the child’s medication inhalation method is incorrect and affects the recovery of the small airways, the doctor can detect the problem through the pulmonary function in time and correct the child’s medication in time to facilitate the child’s recovery.