CPET Test Interpretation, Part 4: Interpretation and Summary
After having gone through the descriptive checklists for ventilatory, gas exchange and circulatory limitations the reason(s) for a patient’s exercise limitation, if any, should be reasonably clear.…
2019 ATS/ERS Spirometry Standards
The 2019 ATS/ERS Spirometry Standards were recently released. The standards are open-access and can be downloaded without charge from the October 15th issue of the American Journal of Respiratory a…
CPET Test Interpretation, Part 3: Circulation
I would like to re-emphasize the importance of the descriptive part of CPET interpretation. At the very least consider it to be a checklist that should always be reviewed even when you think you kn…
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CPET Test Interpretation, Part 2: Gas Exchange
I would like to re-iterate the importance of the descriptive part of CPET interpretation. At the very least consider it to be a checklist that should always be reviewed even when you think you know…
CPET Test Interpretation, Part 1: Ventilatory response
I’ve always found interpreting CPET tests to be one of the more interesting (and enjoyable) things I’ve done. Interpreting a CPET test is both more difficult and easier than interpreting regular PF…
Sharing opinions with Paul Enright
Dr. Paul Enright is a well-known name in the field of Pulmonary Function testing. He is the lead author or co-author of over a hundred articles and has served on many of the ATS/ERS standards commi…
N2 washout is affected by N2 excretion and other factors
The Lung Clearance Index (LCI) was first described in 1952 by Margaret Becklake, and is defined as the number of lung volume turnovers required to reduce the concentration of a tracer gas by a fact…
FEV1 and VC should be measured separately
The FEV1 and VC both provide quite different information about a patient’s lungs. Unfortunately, spirometry as it is currently practiced is optimized towards generating an accurate FEV1 more than a…
I’M BACK, SORT-OF
The chemo did a real number on me. I was included in a study of a new drug and it literally almost killed me. Twice. For this reason I have left the study and have been put on a gentler and more no…