Pomerene
Respiratory Services
Pomerene’s Respiratory Care department is staffed 24 hours/day with license Respiratory Therapist. Our therapist are required to carry additional certifications in ACLS, NRP and BLS. Therapist working together with your physician provide evaluation and treatment for issues related to the cardiac and pulmonary systems.
Our goal is to eliminate difficulties in breathing related to a disease and/or injury to our patients. Services are provided to both inpatients as well as out-patients throughout our organization. Out-patient testing is done by appointment.
Pulmonary Function Tests Offered
Spirometry
A breathing maneuver that measures the amount of air you can inhale, the amount of air you can exhale and how quickly (fast) you can exhale. Spirometry may be performed before and after an inhaled bronchodilator.
Lung volume testing
Lung volume and capacity can be determined by several different methods that include breathing in oxygen for up to several minutes on a machine.
Diffusion Capacity (DLCO)
A breathing maneuver that requires a brief breath-hold to assess how well your lungs allow oxygen to pass in and out of your lungs.
Bronchoprovocation test
Typically used to diagnose asthma by finding out how ‘reactive’ or ‘responsive’ your lungs are after inhaling either aerosolized chemicals or cold air or performing exercises to see if it induces asthma symptoms in a controlled environment.
Exhaled nitric oxide level (FeNO) test
This test can help diagnose and manage asthma. It measures the amount of nitric oxide in the air you slowly exhale out of your lungs. The exhaled nitric oxide test is different from most PFTs in that you need to blow slowly and steadily, not hard and fast, to get an accurate measurement.