What is PFT ?

Lung disorders such as asthma and bronchitis have become a growing concern nowadays. Estimates suggest that around 30 million individuals in India get affected by asthma disease. A useful measure to screen, monitor and diagnose lung disorders is to have a Lung Function Test or PFT. At the Long Life Speciality Clinic, we constantly prioritise the importance of screening tests to preserve your lung health.

What is a Lung Function Test ?

A Lung Function Test includes a number of tests that help measure the oxygen levels in your blood. The breathing tests include :

1. Spirometry : This helps to measure how much air you breathe in and how quickly you exhale it.

2. Lung Diffusion Capacity : This helps to measure how oxygen is passed from your lungs to your bloodstream.

Why is a PFT test done ?

1. Tidal Volume : The total amount of air exhaled or inhaled during normal breathing.

2. Vital Capacity (VC) : Total volume of the air that can be breathed out after inhaling as much air as you can.

3. Minute Volume (MV) : Total amount of air exhaled per minute.

4. Functional Residual Capacity (FRC) : Amount of air left in your lungs after exhaling normally.

5. Residual Volume : The amount of air left in your lungs after exhaling as much as you can.

6. Total Lung Capacity : Total volume of your lungs when filled with air.

7. Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) : Amount of air exhaled quickly after inhaling as much air as you can.

8. Forced Expiratory Flow (FEF) : The average flow rate during the middle half of an FVC test.

9. Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) : The fastest rate at which you can force air out of the lungs.

10. Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV) : The amount of air that is expired during the first, second, the third second of an FVC test.

Which are the tests performed under PFT?

1. Spirometry

2. Cardiopulmonary exercise test

3. Gas diffusion study

4. Lung volume