Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT)
Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are conducted at CCMA to measure how much air you can breathe in and out and how well your breathing muscles work to move your lungs. Your CCMA physician uses these tests to screen for health problems, monitor your condition and prescribe therapy.
All new pulmonary patients will have a PFT. This test helps physicians know how well medications are working or whether to prescribe new medications. Patients with COPD or asthma have a PFT often, as do pre-surgery patients, to check for lung disease or breathing problems.
The test is simple. First, the CCMA technologist asks you to sit in a comfortable chair next to the pulmonary function machine. Then, they place soft clips on your nose so that you breathe only through the mouthpiece attached to the PFT machine. The technologist then asks you to breathe in and out in different ways, such as normally, slowly and rapidly.
There are usually no after effects from PFTs. However, some patients feel a little tired when they finish. When the tests are over, you can resume your normal activities.