Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
The spirometry test is performed using a device called a spirometer, [2] which comes in several different varieties. Most spirometers display the following graphs, called spirograms: a volume-time curve, showing volume (litres) along the Y-axis and time (seconds) along the X-axis
Pulmonary function testing (PFT) is a complete evaluation of the respiratory system including patient history, physical examinations, and tests of pulmonary function. The primary purpose of pulmonary function testing is to identify the severity of pulmonary impairment. [1]
A spirometer is the main piece of equipment used for basic Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs). Lung diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema may be ruled out from the tests.
Output of a spirometer. Vital capacity (VC) is the maximum amount of air a person can expel from the lungs after a maximum inhalation.It is equal to the sum of inspiratory reserve volume, tidal volume, and expiratory reserve volume.
An initial spirometry is performed to assess the patient's native respiratory status. The patient will be asked to take a deep breath and then blow into the mouthpiece of the spirometer as hard as you can. This is a baseline measurement.
The amount of He in the spirometer is known at the beginning of the test (concentration × volume = amount). The patient is then asked to breathe (normal breaths) in the mixture starting from FRC (functional residual capacity), which is the gas volume in the lung after a normal breath out. The spirometer measures helium concentration.
In a traditional plethysmograph (or "body box"), the test subject, or patient, is placed inside a sealed chamber the size of a small telephone booth with a single mouthpiece. At the end of normal expiration, the mouthpiece is closed. The patient is then asked to make an inspiratory effort.
An incentive spirometer is a handheld medical device used to help patients improve the functioning of their lungs.By training patients to take slow and deep breaths, this simplified spirometer facilitates lung expansion and strengthening.