Others

Uses:

• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• asthma
• pneumonia
• lung cancer
• anemia
• heart attack or heart failure
• congenital heart disease

pulse oximetry uses:

• to assess how well a new lung medication is working
• to evaluate whether someone needs help breathing
• to evaluate how helpful a ventilator is
• to monitor oxygen levels during or after surgical procedures that require sedation
• to determine whether someone needs supplemental oxygen therapy
• to determine how effective supplemental oxygen therapy is, especially when treatment is new
• to assess someone’s ability to tolerate increased physical activity
• to evaluate whether someone momentarily stops breathing while sleeping 

Allergy skin tests are use for:

• Hay fever (allergic rhinitis)
• Allergic asthma
• Dermatitis (eczema)
• Food allergies
• Penicillin allergy
• Bee venom allergy

Bronchodilator responsiveness test:

Bronchodilator responsiveness testing is done to see if your lung function gets better with medication, and if so, by how much. It’s sometimes called reversibility testing. In bronchodilator responsiveness testing, the spirometry test is done before and after you breathe in some medication.

Use of spirometry:

Spirometry can help tell if your breathing is affected by narrowed or inflamed airways. The results are useful in diagnosing lung conditions such as COPD and asthma. For some conditions, it can be used to grade how severe your condition is.

Preparation  for a spirometry test:

You’ll be told if there are any particular things you need to do to prepare. You may need to stop taking bronchodilator medication before the test. You should also stop smoking for 24 hours beforehand, if you can.

On the day of your spirometry test, it’s a good idea to wear loose, comfortable clothing.

These two graphs show:

• peak expiratory flow volume loop when breathing in and out
• volume / time.

The table below the graphs shows the normal range of values for

• forced expiratory volume (FEV1). That’s the volume of air breathed out in one second, measured in litres
• forced vital capacity (FVC). That’s the total volume of air breathed out in one breath, measured in litres
• vital capacity (VC). That’s the total volume of air you can breathe out when relaxed, measured in litres
• the percentage of air blown out in the first second. This is calculated by dividing your FEV1 by your VC
• and multiplying by 100. In normal, healthy lungs, this will be 70% or above.

If your best effort is below the minimum value (Min), your result is below what it is expected it to be. This information and the shape of the loop will help your health care professional understand your results.

Obstructive pattern

With a restrictive pattern, the total amount of air you can breathe in is reduced but the speed you can breathe out is preserved. In this situation, both the FEV1 and FVC will be lower than predicted, but the ratio between the two will not be reduced.

A restrictive pattern can be caused by various conditions that affect

• the tissue of your lungs, or
• the capacity of your lungs to expand and hold a normal amount of air, such as pulmonary fibrosis.

If your results show a restrictive pattern, you may have a lung volume test to check if you have a low lung volume.

This pattern can also be seen in people who

• are significantly overweight
• have an abnormal curvature of the spine, or
• have weak breathing muscles.

Sweat Test Value:

• Normal = 5 to 35 meq/L
• Marginal = 30 to 70 meq/L
• Cystic fibrosis = 60 200 meq/L

Indications:

1. This test is done to confirm the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis.
2. Sweat is tested for chloride.

Sweat Electrolytes Increased In:

1. Cystic fibrosis of the pancreas.
   1. Sodium
      1. 50 to 140 meq / L and mean maybe 103 meq / L.
   2. Chloride
      1. Normal = 4 to 60 meq / L.
      2. In diseases is 50 to 120 meq / L.
   3. Potassium
      1. Normal mean = 9 meq / L.
      2. In the disease = mean 15 meq / L.
   4. Cystic fibrosis transmitted autosomal recessive trait.
      1. Cystic fibrosis is a disorder of mucous secretion with occlusion of exocrine glands function.
      2. This will produce sweat with very high contents of sodium and chloride.
2. Other causes than cystic fibrosis are:
   1. Addison disease (Untreated adrenal insufficiency).
   2. Pseudohypoaldosteronism.
   3. Some unusual diseases like Glucose – 6 phosphate deficiency, glycogen storage disease, and diabetes insipidus.
   4. Anorexia nervosa
   5. Atopic dermatitis.
   6. Familial cholestasis.
   7. Klinefelter syndrome.
   8. Nephrosis.
   9. Untreated hypothyroidism.
   10. Protein-calorie malnutrition.
   11. Ectodermal Dysplasia.
   12. Environmental deprivation.
   13. Nephrosis and nephrogenic diabetes inspidus.
   14. Psychosocial failure to thrive.

Indication IgE:

• Coughing
• Diarrhea
• Itchy or watery eyes
• Shortness of breath
• Sneezing
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Wheezin

Common allergens that can be detected through allergen-specific IgE testing include:

• Animal
• Dust mites
• Certain foods (such as milk, egg, peanuts and others)
• Insect venom from bites or stings
• Latex
• Mold
• Pollen

positive Tuberculin test :

1. An active case of TB.
2. Other types of Mycobacterial infection.

Negative Tuberculin test:

1. Immune incompetent chronically ill patient.
2. The patient was not exposed to TB.
3. It is found 20% of the HIV-negative and 40% of HIV-positive cases with tuberculosis.
4. Viral infections, including measles, and rubella, can suppress tuberculin reactivity. However, this effect is transient.

Contraindications for Tuberculin test:

1. A patient who has active TB will have a very severe reaction.
2. A patient who has a vaccination with Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG).
3. No use in a malnourished patient.