What is Pulmonary function test?
Pulmonary function tests are done to assess one’s lung function. It requires simple equipment like Peal flow gauge or a spirometer. When are they ordered? Pulmonary function tests are ordered when one is suffering from asthma, or COPD or is undergoing a surgery — whether cardiac, pulmonary or abdominal. It is important to know lung function before the surgery because the lung plays a major role during anaesthesia and in the post-operative period. If the lung function is not assessed preoperatively, recovery will be delayed in the post-operative period causing anxious moments to patient, physicians and attendants. Is it possible to diagnose diseases? No. But it will tell you that the function of the lung is not normal and that this needs some care either as medications or some further tests like CT scan or bronchoscopy. What is a spirometry? It is a technical word used for pulmonary function tests. A person is asked to breathe through the mouth piece into the spirometer. The machine cal
