Pulmonary Function Test (PFT)

Pulmonary function tests like spirometry help our lung experts diagnose and monitor conditions like COPD, asthma, and more.

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For Lung Services related requests:

1-319-356-8133

For all other requests:: 1-800-777-8442

Pulmonary function tests (PFT) show how well your lungs are working.

UI Health Care lung experts offer the full range of PFT, including some that aren’t available elsewhere in Iowa.

We test adults and children to:

See whether lung disease is the cause of symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing, or wheezing
Check whether lung disease has progressed
See how well lung medications are working
Evaluate lung function before surgery
Monitor for side effects of certain medications

Having a PFT at UI Hospitals & Clinics

If you’re a new pulmonology patient, your provider may order tests before your first visit.

For your convenience, we try to schedule your tests to take place right before your appointment. The results go straight into your electronic medical record, so your provider will see them immediately.

Your primary care provider, allergy and immunology specialist, or other provider may also order tests. And if you’re scheduled to have certain types of surgery, you may need to be tested beforehand.

What to expect from PFT

You don’t need to do any special preparations for most pulmonary function tests:

These tests are noninvasive and painless.
The therapist who performs your tests will walk you through each test, step by step.
They’ll also coach you to make sure the tests get the most useful, accurate results.
Your therapist will watch closely to make sure you can breathe comfortably and can give you medication if you cough or wheeze.

Types of pulmonary function tests

UI Health Care offers the full range of pulmonary function tests, including:

Arterial blood gas: Measures the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood. This shows how well gases move from your lungs to your bloodstream and vice versa.
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET): Measures how well your lungs, heart, and muscles work while you pedal an exercise bike. UI Health Care is the one of the only health systems in the state that offers this sophisticated test.
Diffusing capacity (DLCO): Measures how easily oxygen enters the bloodstream from your lungs
Exercise-induced bronchospasm: Measures how well you can breathe before and after exercising
Exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO): Measures how much nitric oxide you breathe out due to airway inflammation
Impulse oscillometry: Uses sound waves to measure resistance to the movement of air in and out of your lungs
Inhaler testing: Shows how effectively you’re using your inhaler
Lung volume (body plethysmography): Measures how much air is in your lungs after you inhale, and how much stays in your lungs after you exhale
Maximum inspiration and expiration pressures (MIP and MEP): Measure the strength of the muscles you use to inhale and exhale
Methacholine challenge: Shows how much your lungs react to an inhaled medication that narrows your airways
Spirometry: The most common PFT. It measures how much air you inhale and exhale, and how easily you’re able to breathe.

Education on effective use of equipment and medications

We’re committed to making sure you fully understand how to use the right equipment and medications to manage your lung disease.

Our therapists make sure that everything is working the way it should. They’ll assist you with:

Inhaler education to maximize medication effectiveness and minimize side effects
Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) mask-fitting for people with neuromuscular disease
Obstructive pulmonary disease education, including breathing exercises and techniques to make breathing easier
Positive expiratory pressure (PEP) device education to ensure that mucus moves out of airways efficiently