The Pulmonary Function Lab at UCHealth Pulmonary Diagnostics – Pikes Peak Regional Hospital offers a variety of different pulmonary function tests (PFT’s). Our Pulmonary Lab specializes in testing the young and old at high elevation (over 8,000 feet), in an outpatient setting.
The labs are designed to measure the amount of air in the lungs, and how the lungs function by moving air in and out. All tests are performed by registered respiratory therapists who are specially trained in pulmonary function testing.
We also offer simple spirometry at the hospital. The spirometer measures the volume of air the patient can breathe out of the lungs and the time it takes to do this. This is a valuable tool for physicians to use to determine baseline lung volumes compared to normal, healthy individuals of the same height, weight and gender.
Why use pulmonary function tests?
They can tell us about what type of lung disease someone has, how the disease is changing over time, and how the disease is responding to treatments.
The tests are commonly used to help diagnose and treat patients with asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), cystic fibrosis, and other lung diseases. They can be used to monitor the response to different therapies prescribed and can help measure the effects of certain drugs on the lungs. They can also be used to determine the effect on the lungs from curvatures of the spine or deformities of the breastbone.
What to expect
The therapist will put you at ease, answer questions, and coach you through each maneuver. Soft nose clips and a mouthpiece filter are used for each maneuver. The number of maneuvers will depend on the patient’s age and technique.