Blood Tests
Blood is drawn from a suitable vein usually in the elbow crease or the back of the hand to test for many different things that may indicate lung disease.
Pulmonary Function TestsLung function tests measure how well your lungs are working. You maybe asked to perform various breathing exercises using a number of instruments which measure different aspects of your lung function. Normally, lung function tests take about one hour to complete.
Chest X-ray
An x-ray (radiograph) is a painless medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Radiography involves exposing a part of the body to a small dose of radiation to produce pictures of the inside of the body. X-rays are the oldest and most frequently used form of medical imaging.
CT ScanningCT imaging uses special x-ray equipment to produce multiple images or pictures of the inside of the body and a computer to join them together in cross-sectional views of the area being studied. The images can then be examined on a computer monitor or printed.
Arterial Blood Gases
Blood is drawn from an artery usually in the back of the wrist to check the blood oxygen levels, blood PH, the carbon dioxide levels. This tells the physician how well the patient's lungs are able to oxygenate the blood and may indicate the use for supplemental oxygen therapy.
BronchoscopyThis is a medical procedure where a flexible tube is inserted into the airways, usually through the nose or mouth. This allows the practitioner to examine inside a patient's airway for abnormalities such as foreign bodies, bleeding, tumours and inflammation.
Bronchoalveolar Lavage
This is a medical procedure in which a bronchoscope is passed through the mouth or nose into the lungs and fluid is squirted into a small part of the lung and then recollected for examination.
Lung Biopsy
A lung biopsy is the removal of a small piece of lung tissue which can be looked at under a microscope.
