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Respiratory function tests 

Respiratory function tests
Chapter:
Respiratory function tests
Author(s):

G. J. Gibson

DOI:
10.1093/med/9780198746690.003.0399
Page of

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date: 07 March 2021

Respiratory function tests are used in diagnosis, assessment, and prognosis and in monitoring the effects of treatment of various respiratory conditions. In the diagnosis of specific diseases, respiratory function tests—like functional tests of other organs—inevitably have limitations. Their use as a diagnostic tool is in recognizing patterns of abnormality which characterize particular types of disease; more often they are used to quantify the severity of functional disturbance or to locate the likely anatomical site(s) of disease (airways, alveoli, or chest wall). The commonly applied tests are most conveniently classified as (1) tests of respiratory mechanics, (2) carbon monoxide uptake, (3) arterial blood gases and acid–base balance, and (4) exercise.

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