Spirometry.

Didn't mean to leave out our most commonly done test for discussion points!

LCI?

Anyone doing LCI measurements? With what equipment? In what populations?

Lung Volumes issues

This post for discussing lung volume measurement issues...

Diffusing Capacity/Transfer Factor issues...

This post for discussion DLCO (or TLCO) issues...

Z-scores

Anyone else using them in addition to or instead of %predicteds? I am working on an interpretation schema that utilizes cutpoints of Z-scores instead of %pred. I suppose neither is perfect...

Educational Resources

MedGraphics sponsors a very nice seminar for folks new or not-so-new to pulmonary function testing. Read more about it here: http://www.medgraph.com/education.html#seminar

Predicteds

Which do you use?

Our lab switched ~3 years ago to a composite set:
Spirometry: Eigen (3-5 yrs), Dockery/Wang (6,7 yrs), NHANESIII (8-80)
Lung Volumes/Diffusion: Rosenthal (6-18); Crapo (19+)
Resp Muscle Pressures: Wilson

Forced Deflation Spirometry

Forced Deflation spirometry has been done here in Pittsburgh for ~30 years. While there are some drawbacks (it requires intubation and either deep sedation or paralysis), it also allows for testing of ventilated patients where that is not feasible with the IPL. For the last 30 years, this has been accomplished with some ... umm.... older technology (recording oscilloscope, polaroid camera, ruler), but just recently we have modernized this to run with a digital signal processing system and laptop (thanks, Joe!). Here, it has been commonly used to test children undergoing VEPTR, but we have used it for other purposes (pre-transplant evaluations in the ICU), or for children going to the OR for some other purpose where obtaining lung function would be helpful.

Do others have any experience with it?

Infant Lung Function Testing with the IPL

We have had an IPL here in Pittsburgh for ~3 years. Please use this space to share questions and answers about testing with the IPL.