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Spirometry is a painless test, does not require preparation, lasts a few minutes, and gives valuable information: it allows you to assess the work and capacity of the lungs. That's why it should be done by every cigarette smoker.

Contents:

  1. Spirometry - how to prepare for the test
  2. Spirometry - who should get tested?
  3. Spirometry - the course of the test
  4. Spirometry - norms
  5. Spirometry - how to read the results?

Spirometryis the most common lung function test necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive diseases that constrict the airways and make breathing difficult, including bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Spirometry - how to prepare for the test

Specialists emphasize that although the examination is extremely simple, it is not simply breathing through a tube and requires a certain effort from the patient and a precise following of the instructions.

You have to take in and blow out air at the right moment and in the right way. The specialist who performs the examination must enforce this from the patient, otherwise the results will not be true. Loose clothing is advisable to allow a deep intake of air. Spirometry should not be performed immediately after exercise.

Do a simple test at home before you go for a spirometry test.

Important

Spirometry - who should get tested?

Spirometry should be done every two years by every smoker over the age of 40, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms of the disease. The test is also recommended for people who have a cough, shortness of breath and tire easily, regardless of whether they are smokers or not. Such symptoms may indicate, for example, pulmonary arterial hypertension, which is diagnosed, inter alia, in based on spirometry.

It is best to get tested in a lung disease clinic or hospital (a referral is needed). You have to pay PLN 40-60 without a referral. You can take advantage of various actions during which the test is free of charge. Lung disease outpatient clinics and hospitals as well as he alth care clinics across the country offer free examinations on the occasion of World Spirometry Day (June 27).

Spirometry - the course of the test

Before starting the test, you must enter your age,sex, height and possibly weight. This data is entered into the computer to which the spirometer is connected. The patient is sitting or standing freely in an upright position. He has a disposable plastic mouthpiece in his mouth, which he holds tightly around his mouth.

There is a tightened clip on her nose that prevents her from breathing through her nose. The mouthpiece is connected by a flexible hose to the spirometer. Dynamic spirometry is most often performed. First, the patient takes a few easy breaths. Then he slowly draws in as much air as possible, then blows it out as hard and as long as possible. The activity is repeated several times in order to determine the repeatability of the results. When air is drawn in slowly and is blown out just as slowly, it is static spirometry.

Important

Spirometry versus exercise ECG and pharmacological tests

Sometimes the spirometry test is accompanied by exercise tests (exercise ECG) or pharmacological tests. The combination of spirometry and exercise testing is used to assess respiratory and circulatory fitness. This test is performed in people with respiratory and circulatory diseases and occupational lung diseases. In he althy people, it can be used to assess whether they can perform a specific profession or sports discipline, while pharmacological tests involve performing spirometric measurements after administering aerosolized drugs - this allows to assess the sensitivity of the bronchial muscular membrane to a given drug.

Spirometry - norms

The total lung capacity ( total lung capacity, TLC ) of an adult human is approximately 5-6 liters of air. The average vital capacity ( vital capacity, VC ) in a man is 4.5 l, and in a woman it is approx. 3.2 l. In sportsmen, however, it may fluctuate significantly and amount to even 6-8 l A middle-aged smoker has nearly 20-30% less lung capacity than a non-smoker.

Human lungs reach their full potential in the age of 20. Later, a he althy person reduces the volume of exhaled air in the first second by 25 ml per year. A he althy person blows 85 percent air in the first second. lung capacity, sick less. The spirometry test measures the amount of exhaled air at particular moments of exhalation as well as its strength and dynamics. The spirometry test also records your respiratory rate over a period of time. The correct one is 16 to 24 per minute.

The test measures the vital capacity (FVC), which is the greatest amount of air that can be blown out of the lungs, and the amount of air that can be exhaled during the first second (FEV1). Therefore, the exhaust must be as strong and as long as possible.

In the spirometric test, the computer calculates the so-called values ​​owed what a person is aboutgender, height and age should be achieved. When the result is close to this average, the lungs are working properly. If the measured indices are clearly lower than the predicted values, it means that the lung function is disturbed.

Spirometry - how to read the results?

On the printout, in addition to the graphic image of the lung function, the following parameters are marked: the patient's result and the percentage of the predicted value.

  • FVC- is forced vital capacity - the largest volume of air that can be blown out of the lungs during maximum, rapid exhalation
  • VC- vital capacity, i.e. the total volume of air blown out. It shows the degree of limitation of lung compression and decompression during breathing due to lung disease or chest deformity.
  • FEVı- the amount of air blown out during the first second of the most powerful exhalation. It shows the size of the obstruction, i.e. the narrowing of the bronchial lumen. Obstruction may be caused by bronchospasm, swelling of the mucosa, or mucous discharge. Depending on the reduction
  • FEVıthere are different degrees of obstruction: mild (over 70% predicted value), moderate (60-69%), moderately severe (50-59%), heavy (35-49%) and very heavy (less than 35%).
  • FEVı / FVC(Tiffeneau index) - is the most important. A value below 0.7 indicates obstruction of the bronchial tree, which means that the patient has difficulty blowing air quickly.
  • PEF- peak expiratory flow measured using the so-called peak flow meter. Like the FEVI index, it measures the degree of obstruction in the bronchial tree. PEF is measured during spirometry, but the test can also be done at home (you can buy the device at a medical store). After resetting the device, you must deflate, then take in as deep a breath as possible and, without holding your breath, blow air out through the mouthpiece as quickly as possible. The indicator shows the flow value.

Read also:

  • The effects of smoking - what myths do smokers believe?
  • Quit smoking lung cleansing - diet and breathing exercises
  • What do a smoker's lungs look like?
  • Pancytopenia - causes, symptoms, treatment

Spirometry - basic test in the diagnosis of obstructive pulmonary diseases

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