Pulmonary Function Tests
To learn how well your lungs work, your clinician may order tests such as:
- Arterial blood gas – Measures the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood
- Lung diffusion capacity – Assesses how well oxygen gets into the blood when you breathe
- Lung volume test – Measures how much air your lungs can hold
- Methacholine challenge test – Shows how the lungs react to an inhaled irritant and helps clinicians diagnose asthma
- Six-minute walk test – Measures exercise capacity of the lungs and monitors how well treatments work
- Spirometry – Measures how much air your lungs hold and how quickly and forcefully you can blow air out
Preparing for Your Tests
Help make your appointment go smoothly by:
- Checking your health plan to confirm your insurance coverage
- Writing down questions to ask our scheduler, who will call before your appointment to help you prepare for the test
- Bringing any medicine you take to your appointment
- Eating only a light meal before your visit
- Wearing loose, comfortable clothes
Robotic Bronchoscopy
Bronchoscopy is a minimally invasive exam that lets a doctor look inside your airways with a scope (tube with a light and camera). At St. Cloud Hospital, you may benefit from robotic technology that uses a bronchoscope to help doctors diagnose lung cancer earlier. Called the Ion Endoluminal System, it reaches far into the lungs to take samples of suspicious tissue for a biopsy (examination in a lab).
That means doctors don’t need to make an incision in your chest to reach the tissue. You’ll have no scars and a lower risk of side effects than after a surgical biopsy. Most importantly, the system allows for a quicker cancer diagnosis, leading to earlier and more effective treatment.
Evaluation for Home Oxygen
Home oxygen therapy is sometimes a good option for people with chronic lung conditions. To find out if it’s right for you, we measure the amount of oxygen in your blood before and during physical activity. If the amount is too low, we may give you more oxygen to breathe in until your blood oxygen rises to a normal level. Then, we’ll prescribe oxygen tanks or other devices for you to use at home to keep your blood oxygen level healthy.
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