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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffSpirometry is a common office test used to diagnose asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and certain other conditions that affect breathing. Spirometry may also be used periodically to check how well your lungs are working once you're being treated for a chronic lung condition.
Spirometry measures how much air you can inhale and how much you can exhale. Spirometry also measures how fast you can exhale. Spirometry values below average indicate your lungs aren't working as well as they should.
- Expert panel report 3 (EPR3): Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. Bethesda, Md.: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/asthgdln.htm and other sources. Accessed May 18, 2009. Adapted by Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
- Enright PL, et al. Office spirometry. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 18, 2009.
- Pulmonary function tests (PFTs). Asthma Initiative of Michigan. http://www.getasthmahelp.org/PFT.asp. Accessed May 18, 2009.
