Word parts
What it means
A breathing-measurement tool. In a lung function lab, a spirometer measures how much air the lungs hold and how fast the person can blow it out, which helps diagnose asthma and COPD (pulmonary function testsPUL-muh-nair-ee FUNK-shun testsBreathing tests that measure how much air the lungs hold and how fast air moves in and out.pulmon/o lung-ary relating toFull entry ). An incentive spirometerin-SEN-tiv spih-ROM-uh-terA hand-held device that helps a person take slow, deep breaths and shows how much air they breathe in.Full entry is a simple hand-held version that shows a client how deeply they are breathing in, used after surgery to prevent lung problems.
At a glance
| Also written | spirometers |
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Related terms
pulmonary function tests
Breathing tests that measure how much air the lungs hold and how fast air moves in and out.
incentive spirometer
A hand-held device that helps a person take slow, deep breaths and shows how much air they breathe in.
-meter
A word ending that means an instrument for measuring.