The CPET’s not over until it’s over
My guidelines for interpreting CPETs originally started as notes to myself about what needed to be on the report and what the normal values were. They grew into a more formal set of instructions th…
Category pftblog
There’s more than one way to determine AT
As workload increases during a progressive cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) there comes a point at which the amount of oxygen delivered to the exercising muscle is no longer able to meet its ne…
Substituting an FVC for an SVC in Lung Volume measurements
Recently I was reviewing test results from another PFT Lab that uses equipment from a different manufacturer than what my lab uses. When I came to the lung volumes it became evident that the FVC ha…
When is it hyperinflation?
I was reviewing a PFT recently and noticed that the FEV1 was severely reduced and that the FRC and RV were both elevated. This is a pattern we associate with obstructive gas trapping but I’ve…
What’s up with Peak Flow?
Two PFT reports came across my desk recently and comparing them got me to thinking about Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF). The FEV1 from both tests were mildly reduced with an FEV1/FVC ratio that was mod…
What’s a normal post-pneumonectomy CPET?
Recently a CPET report for an individual whose primary complaint was tachycardia and DOE with minimal activity came across my desk. Since the patient had had an pneumonectomy (one lung removed) abo…
What does it mean when Ve exceeds its predicted during a CPET?
When I review the results from a CPET I am used to considering a maximum minute ventilation (Ve) greater than 85% of predicted as an indication of a pulmonary mechanical limitation. Recently a CPET…
Looking at the past, looking to the future
As New Year’s Day approaches it is a tradition for people look back to see what has happened during the last year and then look forward and guess what will happen during the next year. I̵…
Where are your emergency plans?
Around 20 years ago I had to write the emergency evacuation plan for the pulmonary function lab. Like many other administrative duties I learned that I needed to do this when my new administrator a…