The Essentials of Spirometry Testing
Spirometry testing is the most frequent pulmonary function test that is done to check a patient's lung function. These tests will check the volume and speed flow of air that can be inhaled and exhaled from the lungs of a patient. These tests are very important in the production of pneumotachographs, which is where the data from a spirometer is printed out. This print out is used by a medical professional to assist in the diagnosis of many lung conditions. Some of these include cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis and asthma.
Spirometry testing is done with a piece of medical equipment that is called a spirometer. There are many sorts of these tools available on the market. Some of them are even portable and hand held. Most of these tools will display graphs that are known as spirograms. One of these is called a volume time curve. This will show the volume of air in liters, noted on a Y-axis, and the time in seconds which is noted on the X-axis.
Another read out is the flow-volume loop. This one will show graphically the rate of the air flowing from the patient's lungs. This in on the Y-axis. On the X-axis, the total volume that was inhaled or exhaled is displayed.
In spirometry testing, the patient is required to inhale the deepest breath that he or she possibly can. Then, the patient will breathe out into the sensing port on the spirometer. He should do this as long as he possibly can do it. This should be for at least six seconds or more. Sometimes this will be followed by a fast inhale.
This is particularly useful when the doctor is checking for a possible obstruction in the upper airway. At other times, the test will have a short time of quiet breathing in and out right before the test to check the tidal volume. During the spirometry testing, sometimes nose clips are utilized. This is to keep air from coming out of the nose accidently.
For our spirometry testing, we usually rely on the best spirometers, such as the Schiller Spirovit SP-2, or the Astra 100 Spirometer. We have found that both of these portable devices give us very accurate readings quickly. We also like how both of them will easily send the data to our printer in the next room, wirelessly. This is a great convenience, in our opinion.
Spirometry testing is done with a piece of medical equipment that is called a spirometer. There are many sorts of these tools available on the market. Some of them are even portable and hand held. Most of these tools will display graphs that are known as spirograms. One of these is called a volume time curve. This will show the volume of air in liters, noted on a Y-axis, and the time in seconds which is noted on the X-axis.
Another read out is the flow-volume loop. This one will show graphically the rate of the air flowing from the patient's lungs. This in on the Y-axis. On the X-axis, the total volume that was inhaled or exhaled is displayed.
In spirometry testing, the patient is required to inhale the deepest breath that he or she possibly can. Then, the patient will breathe out into the sensing port on the spirometer. He should do this as long as he possibly can do it. This should be for at least six seconds or more. Sometimes this will be followed by a fast inhale.
This is particularly useful when the doctor is checking for a possible obstruction in the upper airway. At other times, the test will have a short time of quiet breathing in and out right before the test to check the tidal volume. During the spirometry testing, sometimes nose clips are utilized. This is to keep air from coming out of the nose accidently.
For our spirometry testing, we usually rely on the best spirometers, such as the Schiller Spirovit SP-2, or the Astra 100 Spirometer. We have found that both of these portable devices give us very accurate readings quickly. We also like how both of them will easily send the data to our printer in the next room, wirelessly. This is a great convenience, in our opinion.
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