Welcome to The Pulmonary Function Testing Center

Pulmonary Requisition Form

The Respiratory Care Department at Merrimack Valley Hospital is pleased to announce the opening of its new state of the art Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) Center. Our vision is to build a regional reputation for providing exceptional patient care and state-of-the-art medical services in Pulmonary Function Testing. Testing is performed by a Certified Pulmonary Function Technician and a Registered Pulmonary Function Technician. Tests are interpreted by pulmonoloigists Dr. German Iosif, MD, FCCP, and Dr. Charles Wicks, MD

Pulmonary Function testing is used in a variety of ways. PFT can be used to establish baseline lung function, evaluate respiratory impairment, and evaluate operative risk. PFT can also be used in conjunction with smoking cessation classes.

PFT is often performed to diagnose certain types of lung disease (especially asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema) and to determine the cause of shortness of breath. PFT can be used to monitor the effects of therapies used to treat respiratory disease, for example, it can also be used after the administration of medications, such as a bronchodilator to assess their effect and to measure progress in disease treatment.

Pulmonary Function testing may be used to screen for lung function problems prior to employment in companies where employees use respirators or to measure whether occupational exposure to contaminants affects lung function, perform surveillance for occupational-related lung disease and screen for disability.

Pulmonary Function Testing may be used in conjunction with other test to effectively predict intraoperative and postoperative morbidity and mortality from pulmonary complications, the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) obtained from spirometry is a useful tool. Operative risk is heavily dependent on the surgical site, with chest surgery having the highest risk.

Patient-related factors associated with increased operative risk for pulmonary complications include preexisting pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary hypertension, dyspnea upon exertion, heavy smoking history, respiratory infection, cough (particularly productive cough), and advanced age.

How the Test is Performed

• Spirometry: a person performs the test by breathing into mouthpiece that is connected to an instrument called a spirometer. The spirometer records the amount of air and the rate of air that is breathed in and out over a specified time. Some of the test measurements are obtained by normal, quiet breathing, and other tests require forced inhalation or exhalation after a deep breath.

• Lung volume measurement: Lung volumes are measured by having the patient breathe nitrogen or helium gas through a breathing circuit for a specified period of time. The concentration of the gas in a chamber attached to the breathing circuit is measured, allowing estimation of the lung volume.

 
• The diffusion capacity is measured when a person breathes a small amount, usually 0.3% or less, of carbon monoxide for a very short time. The concentration of carbon monoxide in exhaled air is then measured. The difference in the amount of carbon monoxide inhaled and the amount exhaled allows estimation of how rapidly gas can travel from the lungs into the blood.

The ATS has published guidelines for a standardized technique that includes spirometer performance standards. All pulmonary function testing performed at MVH meets ATS guidelines.

The National Lung Health and Education Program (NLHEP) proposed an initiative to identify approximately 13 million Americans with undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by performing spirometry on 2 groups of patients, i.e., (1) those aged 45 years or older who are actively smoking or who have quit within the last year and (2) those aged 25 years or older who have respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, dyspnea, wheezing), regardless of smoking history. Based on the last NHANES survey, approximately 50-60 million Americans fall into one of these groups. Every primary care practitioner, internist and general practitioner should have at their disposal, the capability of administering a pulmonary function test.

Please call the MVH Respiratory Care Department to make an appointment for your patient.

Merrimack Valley Hospital,
Respiratory Care Department
140 Lincoln Avenue
Haverhill, MA. 01830
978-521-8655
978-521-8564