Pulmonary function testing: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:33, 26 October 2018

Revision as of 15:49, 31 January 2019

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* Early morning wheezing

===Pediatric neuromuscular disorders===

Neuromuscular disorders such as [[Duchenne muscular dystrophy]] are associated with gradual loss of muscle function over time. Involvement of respiratory muscles results in poor ability to cough and decreased ability to breathe well and leads to [[atelectasis|collapse of part or all of the lung]] leading to impaired gas exchange and an overall insufficiency in lung strength.<ref>Finder JD, Birnkrant D, Carl J, et al. Respiratory care of the patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: ATS consensus statement. Am J Respir Crit Care Med.2004;170 (4):456– 465</ref> Pulmonary function testing in patients with neuromuscular disorders helps to evaluate the respiratory status of patients at the time of diagnosis, monitor their progress and course, evaluate them for possible surgery, and gives an overall idea of the prognosis.<ref name="pmid19420147">{{cite journal| author=Sharma GD| title=Pulmonary function testing in neuromuscular disorders. | journal=Pediatrics | year= 2009 | volume= 123 Suppl 4 | issue= | pages= S219-21S219–21 | pmid=19420147 | doi=10.1542/peds.2008-2952D | pmc= | url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&tool=sumsearch.org/cite&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks&id=19420147 }}</ref>

==Measurements==

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==Interpretation of tests==

{{See also|Spirometer#History - Interpreting Spirometry}}

Professional societies such as the American Thoracic Society/ European Respiratory Society have published guidelines regarding conduct and interpretation of pulmonary function testing to ensure standardization and uniformity in performance of tests. The interpretation of tests depends on comparing the patients values to published normals from previous studies. Deviation from guidelines can result in false-positive or false negative test results. Mohanka MR et al. recently demonstrated that only a small minority of pulmonary function laboratories followed published guidelines for spirometry, lung volumes and diffusing capacity in 2012.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mohanka|first1=Manish R.|last2=McCarthy|first2=Kevin|last3=Xu|first3=Meng|last4=Stoller|first4=James K.|title=A Survey of Practices of Pulmonary Function Interpretation in Laboratories in Northeast Ohio|journal=Chest|date=April 2012|volume=141|issue=4|pages=1040–1046|doi=10.1378/chest.11-1141|pmid=21940775}}</ref>

==Significance==