All About How Spirometers Are Used

By Patty Summers


Spirometers are used to assess how well the lungs work due to contaminants that we breath, how medications effect us, progression of diseases, and why we have shortness of breath. This medical device measures the flow of respiration in the lungs. The amount of air is recorded while the patient inhales and exhales over a set period of time allowing the condition of the patient's lung to be determined.

Based on a patient's sex, ethnicity, height, and age normal results can be determined. Values below 80 percent are considered to be abnormal, but the range can vary when using different labs. Nose clips are worn and the patient is asked to breathe through a mouthpiece. This forced and fast breathing can sometimes cause a temporary shortness of breath or lightheadedness.

If the test is abnormal this can be an indication of a lung disease or a chest disease. Chronic bronchitis, infections, asthma, and emphysema can cause the lungs to have too much air in them and take a longer to empty. These conditions are known as obstructive disorders of the lungs and can result in scarring and a limited capacity causing problems with the transfer of oxygen into the bloodstream and limiting the amount of air in the lungs. Being very overweight, having lung cancer, fibrosis of the lungs, or scleroderma and sarcoidosis can be contributing factors.

For most, this test poses very little risk, but there are conditions that could cause the risk of a collapsed lung such as those who have certain lung diseases. People who have heart disease or have recently experienced a heart attack should avoid this test.

Being cooperative during testing is very important to receive the most accurate results. The seal around the mouthpiece must be tight or the device will product results that are hard to understand. Smoking or eating a heavy meal should be avoided for 4 to 6 hours before testing. People using bronchodilators or inhaler medications will receive special instruction.

Nitrogen or helium gases are also used to measure lung volume. The gas is breathed through a tube for a specific amount of time. Tracer gas is used in diffusion measurements and requires that one breathe of this harmless gas is taken for a specified amount of time and then measured as the patient exhales. The difference in the amount breathed in versus breathed out is measured to check for the movement of oxygen flowing into the bloodstream.

Physicians use this method routinely as part of annual physicals to alert them of any conditions their patients may have and to properly treat them. With minimal discomfort to the patient, this quick and non-invasive method takes but a few minutes and provides an accurate account of how well the lungs function.

Since the ancient Greeks used the first spirometers in 129 A. D. By creating a primitive bladder method to measure the capacity in a boy's lungs to today's methods developed in 1974, this device is an accurate way to measure the lung volume and to assist in the early detection of disease and the monitoring of medications.




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