The lung function department performs breathing tests in adults and children. You will attend as an inpatient from a ward or from home as an outpatient.
Breathing tests determine how much air your lungs can hold, how quickly you can move air in and out of your lungs, and how well your lungs add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from your blood.
Tests can help diagnose lung diseases and measure the severity of lung problems. Also, they can be used to assess the effectiveness of medication.
Staff you are likely to meet
Clinical physiologists specialised in respiratory physiology will perform the tests.
The types of tests you can expect
Some of the more common lung function tests include:
Spirometry – Spirometry measures how much and how quickly you can blow air out of your lungs.
Gas Diffusion – A gas diffusion test measures the rate at which a gas crosses the lungs’ air sacs (alveoli) into your blood.
Lung Volume Measurement – Lung volume measurement allows the calculation of the size of your lung.
Skin Prick Tests – Skin prick tests identify allergies.
Methacholine Challenge – Methacholine provokes narrowing of the airways (bronchoconstriction) and can help in the diagnosis of asthma.
Exercise Tests – The six minute walk test is a very simple procedure measuring how far you can walk in 6 minute periods along a corridor.
Ambulatory oxygen assessments – This test involves performing three, six minute distance tests to see if oxygen helps exercise.
Fitness to fly tests – Fitness to fly tests assess whether you will require oxygen whilst flying.
Mouth Pressure Tests – This tests measures how strong your respiratory muscles are.
Nebuliser Loan Service – If your respiratory consultant thinks that you would benefit from a home nebuliser, we provide a loan service for this equipment.
What happens next
Your doctor will discuss with you in the outpatients department or on the ward.
