I am going for my first SPIROMETRY assement on Monday,

[Kephre]

I am going for my first SPIROMETRY assement on Monday, just what does it involve, I don't think I could handle on of those treadmills.

[Hidden]

patient.co.uk/health/spirom... link for the spiro x no treadmill involved

[TuckBox2]

Hi Kephre,

Nothing to worry about, its as simple as a peak flow reading, but gives more details.

What does the spirometer measure?

Spirometry measures the amount (volume) and/or speed (flow) of air that can be inhaled and exhaled. The most common measurements used are:

•Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). This is the amount of air you can blow out within one second. With normal lungs and airways you can normally blow out most of the air from your lungs within one second.

•Forced vital capacity (FVC). The total amount of air that you blow out in one breath.

•FEV1 divided by FVC (FEV1/FVC). Of the total amount of air that you can blow out in one breath, this is the proportion that you can blow out in one second.

What can the measurements show?

A spirometry reading usually shows one of four main patterns:

•Normal.

•An obstructive pattern.

•A restrictive pattern.

•A combined obstructive/restrictive pattern.

Normal spirometry

Normal readings vary, depending on your age, size, and sex. The range of normal readings is published on a chart, and doctors and nurses refer to this chart when they check your spirometry readings.

Obstructive pattern on spirometry

This is typical of diseases that cause narrowed airways. The main conditions that cause narrowing of the airways and an obstructive pattern of spirometry are asthma and COPD. Spirometry can therefore help to diagnose these conditions.

If your airways are narrowed then the amount of air that you can blow out quickly is reduced. So, your FEV1 is reduced and the ratio of FEV1/FVC is lower than normal. As a rule, you are likely to have a disease that causes narrowed airways if:

•Your FEV1 is less than 80% of the predicted value for your age, sex and size; or your FEV1/FVC ratio is 0.7 or less.

However, with narrowed airways, the total capacity of your lungs is often normal or only mildly reduced. So, with an obstructive pattern, the FVC is often normal or near normal.

Spirometry can also help to assess if treatment (for example, inhalers) opens up the airways. The spirometry readings will improve if the narrowed airways become wider after medication. This is called reversibility (see later for more details). Generally, asthma has more of a reversible element to the airways obstruction, compared with COPD. However, COPD is graded according to severity, in terms of the FEV1 measurement after a bronchodilator medication has been given to open up the airways. This response is not as big as that seen in asthma. As a guide, the following values help to diagnose COPD and its severity:

•Mild COPD - FEV1 is 80% or more of the predicted value. This effectively means that someone with mild COPD can have normal spirometry after bronchodilator medication.

•Moderate COPD - FEV1 is 50-79% of the predicted value after a bronchodilator.

•Severe COPD - FEV1 is 30-49% of the predicted value after a bronchodilator.

•Very severe COPD - FEV1 is less than 30% of the predicted value after a bronchodilator.

Restrictive pattern on spirometry

With a restrictive spirometry pattern your FVC is less than the predicted value for your age, sex and size. This is caused by various conditions that affect the lung tissue itself, or affect the capacity of the lungs to expand and hold a normal amount of air. Conditions that cause fibrosis or scarring of the lungs give restrictive patterns on spirometry. Some physical deformities that restrict the expansion of the lungs can also cause a restrictive defect. Your FEV1 is also reduced but this is in proportion to the reduced FVC. So, with a restrictive pattern the ratio of FEV1/FVC is normal.

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A combined obstructive and restrictive pattern on spirometry

In this situation you may have two conditions - for example, asthma plus another lung disorder. Also, some lung conditions have features of both an obstructive and restrictive pattern. An example is cystic fibrosis where there is a lot of mucus in the airways, which causes narrowed airways (the obstructive part of the spirometry results), and damage to the lung tissue may also occur (leading to the restrictive component).

Is spirometry the same as peak flow readings?

No. A peak flow meter is a small device that measures the fastest rate of air that you can blow out of your lungs. Like spirometry, it can detect airways narrowing. It is more convenient than spirometry and is commonly used to help diagnose asthma. Many people with asthma also use a peak flow meter to monitor their asthma. For people with COPD, a peak flow reading may be useful to give a rough idea of airways narrowing, but it can underestimate the severity of COPD. Therefore, spirometry is a more accurate test for diagnosing and monitoring people with COPD.

What preparation is needed before having spirometry?

You should get instructions from the doctor, nurse, or hospital department that does this test. Always follow these carefully. The instructions may include such things as not to use a bronchodilator inhaler for a set time before the test (several hours or more, depending on the inhaler). Also, not to have alcohol, a heavy meal, or do vigorous exercise for a few hours before the test. Ideally, you should not smoke for 24 hours before the test.

[Kephre in reply to TuckBox2]

Thanks, I had a mate with a bad heart, and they made him run on a Treadmill for ages... Nearly killed him, but spirometery sounds less intrusive..#

[Offcut in reply to TuckBox2]

copd.about.com/od/copdbasic...

Nice to see someone that mentions Restrictive Lung Disease. Info above is well put and answered a lot of my questions.

Be Well

[Colours23]

It's a machine that no one knows how to use,lol,try not to be cynical ,your be lucky if the nurse can use it, then you breath in it, depends on how you feel that day,they have given up on me ,as it change so much, another formality,that provides numbers.

[Offcut]

A Lot of good info above. It will depend on if it is a test at the GP surgery with a usb/pc blower that will analyse the 2 readings one without and one with salbutamol after a rest. If you go to the one at hospital that is a little more complex and is done in a plastic box for negative pressure testing . ( no out side elements interfering) I also had another at hospital with me flat on my back. That showed a further drop of 12.2% to my lung function. They found I had restrictive lung disease. Overall it is a bit tiring but no treadmill.

I did have an appointment with the heart hospital for a treadmill test many years ago and failed walking towards the treadmill and did not even get to put a foot on it.

Be Well

[Dmactds]

Not to worry..., no treadmill involved in the test; you simply sit in a kind of booth and breath and exhale as the attendant instructs while holding a kind of tube in your mouth.

It's a snap.

[FarmerD]

I,ve had all sorts of tests and none have involved a treadmill apart from at pulmonary rehab and was only if I wanted to use it.So don,t worry we,re not at the forced nasty treatments yet,although if the Tories get in again it won,t be long.Take it easy,good luck.D.

[onamission]

I'm due mine at the end of the month I'm stage 4 with a lung capacity of a 87 years old im 21 lol 52 so we will see what the test brings good luck with yours

[Kephre]

Thanks everybody, a big help... I had the test, and after a few puff I felt like I had better go home and get my lungs, it felt like I had left them behind... My reasults were far from encouraging...