Along with spirometry testing, two other pulmonary function tests are important in the diagnosis of airway disease.
Diffusion Studies - This PFT tells you how well the oxygen that you breath moves into your bloodstream.
Body Plethysmography - A test which determines how much air is present in your lungs when you take a deep breath and how much air is left in your lungs after you exhale as much as you can.
Still unsure about your PFT results? Talk to your health care provider or visit the COPD Forum to ask your guide a question.
Source:
Bare, Brenda G. & Smeltzer, Suzanne C. (1996}. Brunner and Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing(8th Edition). Philidelphia, PA: Lippincott-Raven Publishers.
Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of COPD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2006. Available from:
http://www.goldcopd.org.
