quick pft question

[ok5allegra]

I have two quick questions for you all:

1. at your clinic, do you get your lung function tested at each visit?
2. how is it tested - with a handheld spirometer (quick test that takes a couple minutes, no nose clip, you just take a deep breath in, blast out, and inhale after 2 beeps), or in the big booth (takes longer, wear nose clip)?

Comments

[ladymysla]

Things are a little different now after transplant, as I have a handheld (with noseclip) spirometer for home use twice daily but clinic visits before and after transplant are the same: No box but a large machine, 3 blows (2-3 regular breaths, deep breath in, blow blow blow and deep breath in), best of 3 gets recorded. Then theres a 20 second regular breathing test to check the airways and a 10 second exhale test that checks for infection. But yes, it gets checked at every appointment, i'm in Belgium for reference :)

[picks_at_flies]

While there is a proper booth that's only used very occasionally. Until about 13 years ago I always used the old machine with graph paper and a needle. They started using a nose clip even then (it stops air escaping through your nose). Since that point they have slowly brought in better and better computer programs, using a variety of different (hand held) blowing devices attached to them.

[oh_monkies]

We do PFTs for every visit, and we do both the handheld spirometry and the lung volumes chamber every time.

[ok5allegra]

Ahh.
The pft's at my clinic are done using a handheld spirometer. They never use nose clips and never use the big booth.
I am just wondering if this is as accurate.

[ladymysla]

My handheld comes awefully close to the values of the big machine, however even after doing these lung function tests for most my life (don't we all?) there is no way for me to stop small leaks of air out my nose and noseclip-less blows are never near what I get with a nose clip. Do they give a reason for not doing it? It seems very odd..