What’s wrong with an elevated DLCO?
Well, not necessarily anything, although as usual that depends on the circumstances. Recently I was contacted by an individual who was concerned that their DLCO had decreased from 120% of…
Well, not necessarily anything, although as usual that depends on the circumstances. Recently I was contacted by an individual who…
17 Sep 2017 September 17, 2017 • Leave a comment
Should biological quality control be replaced?
I’ve been thinking about quality control and quality improvement lately. Mostly this has been about how to go about determining whether the lab has a quality problem with testing and…
I’ve been thinking about quality control and quality improvement lately. Mostly this has been about how to go about determining…
3 Sep 2017 September 3, 2017 • Leave a comment
Getting more out of the LCI with Scond and Sacin
The Lung Clearance Index (LCI) is a relatively simple test that provides a measure of ventilation inhomogeneity within the lung. This can be clinically useful information since several studies have…
The Lung Clearance Index (LCI) is a relatively simple test that provides a measure of ventilation inhomogeneity within the lung.…
27 Aug 2017 August 27, 2017 • Leave a comment
Oscillometry
A month or two ago in the AARC Diagnostics forum several members noted that their labs had acquired Impulse Oscillometry systems a number of years ago but that their physicians…
A month or two ago in the AARC Diagnostics forum several members noted that their labs had acquired Impulse Oscillometry…
13 Aug 2017 August 13, 2017 • Leave a comment
Eye was fooled
A couple of days ago I was reviewing (triaging, actually) the spirometry portion of a full panel of PFTs performed with pretty terrible test quality and was trying to decide…
A couple of days ago I was reviewing (triaging, actually) the spirometry portion of a full panel of PFTs performed…
29 Jul 2017 July 29, 2017 • Leave a comment
PFTs on YouTube
A friend recently sent me the links to several YouTube videos on pulmonary function testing. I’ve spent some time off and on over the last year looking at YouTube videos…
A friend recently sent me the links to several YouTube videos on pulmonary function testing. I’ve spent some time off…
23 Jul 2017 July 23, 2017 • Leave a comment
Z Score to remember is -1.645
The use of Z scores to report PFT results, both clinically and for research is occurring more and more frequently. Both the Z score and the Lower Limit of Normal…
The use of Z scores to report PFT results, both clinically and for research is occurring more and more frequently.…
16 Jul 2017 July 16, 2017 • Leave a comment
Contraindications
A couple weeks ago I was asked whether it was safe for a patient with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) to have pulmonary function testing. My first thought was that…
A couple weeks ago I was asked whether it was safe for a patient with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)…
9 Jul 2017 July 9, 2017 • Leave a comment
Assessing post-BD improvement in FEV1 and FVC as a percent of the predicted
The 2005 ATS/ERS standards for assessing post-bronchodilator changes in FVC and FEV1 have been criticized numerous times. A recent article in the May issue of Chest (Quanjer et al) has…
The 2005 ATS/ERS standards for assessing post-bronchodilator changes in FVC and FEV1 have been criticized numerous times. A recent article…
2 Jul 2017 July 2, 2017 • Leave a comment