Word parts
What it means
A group of tests in which the client breathes into a mouthpiece connected to a machine. Spirometry, the most common one, measures how much air a person can blow out and how fast, which shows whether the airways are narrowed (as in asthma or COPDsee-oh-pee-dee (said as letters)Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a long-term lung disease that makes it hard to move air out of the lungs.chronic long-lastingobstructive blockingpulmon/o lung-ary relating toFull entry ) or the lungs cannot expand fully. The test is often repeated after a bronchodilator to see if the numbers improve.
For the nurse
Explain that the client will need to take deep breaths and blow out as hard and fast as they can, sometimes many times. Ask whether to hold inhalers before the test, as the lab or provider instructs, and tell the client not to smoke or eat a heavy meal beforehand.
At a glance
| Abbreviations | PFTs |
|---|---|
| Spanish | pruebas de función pulmonar |
| Also written | pulmonary function test, PFT, PFTs |