Screening Tests of Pulmonary Function

Abstract

SCREENING tests of pulmonary function are procedures that can separate normal from abnormal lungs in only a few minutes of the patient's time, with little or no discomfort to him. Ideally, the tests should use inexpensive and portable apparatus whose operation requires little or no technical training; they should be free from error, should pinpoint the specific abnormality of function and its location and should provide quantitative data.The main uses of such screening tests are as follows: early detection of pulmonary or cardiopulmonary disease, such as emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis or pulmonary vascular disease; differential diagnosis in all patients who . . .