Diagnostic Procedures

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• QWhat is spirometry?

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  A COPD Foundation answered

  Spirometry is a simple, non-invasive test that is used to diagnose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). When you take the test, you will be asked to blow all the air out of your lungs into a mouthpiece connected to a machine known as a spirometer. The machine will calculate two numbers: the amount of air you blow out in the first second, and the amount of air you blow out in six seconds or more.

  A spirometry test can also show your doctor how severe your COPD may or may not be. There are several stages of COPD.

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• QHow are lung function tests performed?

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  A HCA Virginia answered

  Lung function tests provide information about how well your lungs are working and are painless and noninvasive, performed using a machine called a spirometer. By having you breathe into the spirometer, your doctor can measure your lung volume and your ability to move air in and out of your lungs in a certain period of time. Your results are compared with typical findings of a healthy person your age and height. Your doctor can then determine to what extent your lung function is diminished.

• QHow is lung function measured?

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  A Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at P/SL answered

  A test called spirometry may be done in your doctor's office. It allows your doctor to measure your lung function.

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• QWhy is pulse oximetry testing important?

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  A SecondsCount.org answered

  Some congenital heart defects do not show signs within the first days or even weeks of life. Sometimes babies with significant congenital heart disease may not have a murmur after birth. Therefore, some babies may not show signs of significant congenital heart disease until after they become very sick. If healthcare providers discover a heart problem before a baby becomes ill, then the baby will have a better chance to do well with any necessary surgeries or procedures. Early diagnosis of the heart problem may also prevent damage to other organs that may occur when a baby becomes sick due to congenital heart disease.

  While pulse oximetry screening cannot rule out all forms of congenital heart disease, it is a good starting point for evaluating many serious types of congenital heart defects. In 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommended that pulse oximetry screening should be included in the routine evaluation that all newborn babies undergo before they are discharged from the hospital after birth. More and more states are adopting this test as a routine procedure to be done on all newborn babies before they go home from the hospital.

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• QHow is a pulse oximetry screen performed?

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  A Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine answered

  Pulse oximetry screening is done when a baby is at least 24 hours of age, or as late as possible if the baby is to be discharged from the hospital before he or she is 24 hours of age.

  The test is done using a machine called a pulse oximeter, with sensors placed on the baby's skin. The test is painless and takes only a few minutes.

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• QWhat is pulse oximetry?

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  A Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine answered

  Newborn screening using pulse oximetry is a tool that can identify some of the babies born with a critical congenital heart defect or disease (critical CHD), so they can receive prompt care and treatment.

  About 1 in 4 babies born with a heart defect has a critical CHD and needs surgery or other procedures in the first year of life. Some babies born with a critical CHD appear healthy at first, and they may be sent home before their heart defect is detected. These babies are at risk of having serious complications within the first few days or weeks of life and often require emergency care. Timely care may prevent disability or death early in life.

  A pulse oximetry screen estimates the amount of oxygen in a baby’s blood. Low levels of oxygen in the blood can be a sign of a critical CHD. The test is done using a machine called a pulse oximeter, with sensors placed on the baby's skin. The test is painless and takes only a few minutes.

  Pulse oximetry screening does not replace a complete history and physical examination, which sometimes can detect a critical CHD before oxygen levels in the blood become low. Pulse oximetry screening, therefore, should be used along with the physical examination.

  In 2011, screening for critical CHD was added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel for newborn screening. Currently, many states have passed a law or regulation that will require hospitals to screen newborns for critical CHD. Many hospitals in the remaining states choose to screen newborns, even though their state does not require it.

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• QHow can opioid dependency following lung surgery be prevented?

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  A The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered

  To prevent opioid dependency following lung surgery it is vitally important for people to discuss pain management with their surgeon and other healthcare providers prior to surgery. Together with their surgeon, people undergoing lung surgery should develop a plan to appropriately manage their pain while also minimizing their risk of taking these medications for longer than intended after surgery. Issues that should be discussed include the following:

  • details of the surgical operation
  • the risks of using opioids
  • alternatives to opioids for pain management
  • the person's expectations for pain after surgery
  • instructions for the proper disposal of unused pills
• QWhat are the risk factors for opioid dependency following lung surgery?

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  A The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered

  Risk factors for opioid dependency following lung surgery include the following:

  • open, traditional lung resection with a large incision
  • male sex
  • age less than 64 years
  • income less than $70,000
  • past history of substance abuse
  • hospital stay of more than five days after surgery
  • postoperative chemotherapy or radiation
• QCan the type of lung surgery I have influence my risk of opioid dependency?

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  A The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered

  The type of lung surgery you have can influence your risk of opioid dependency. The results of a comprehensive study showed that people who underwent an open, traditional lung resection with a large incision had nearly double the risk of becoming long-term opioid users in comparison to those who received their operations via a minimally invasive approach such as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). The researchers found that 17 percent of people who underwent a traditional lung operation went on to become new persistent opioid users, compared to 9 percent of the people who received a minimally invasive lung surgery.

• QWhat is the risk of opioid dependency following lung surgery?

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  A The Society of Thoracic Surgeons answered

  Many people become opioid dependent following lung surgery. While the use of opioids after lung surgery is intended as a short-term strategy to relieve pain, many people who weren’t prior opioid users continue to take the medication for several months after their lung operations, becoming dependent and “persistent opioid users."

  A study was conducted in which data from people with cancer between January 2010 and June 2014 was evaluated using an insurance claims database. The database contained information from more than 100 health plans in the United States. A total of 3,026 people who received an operation to remove part of the lung (lung resection) and were “opioid naïve” were included in the study.

  The researchers found that one in seven people (14 percent) became new persistent opioid users after surgery, establishing opioid addiction as a postoperative complication that is as common as others, including atrial fibrillation. According to the researchers, “new persistent opioid users” describes people who were not taking opioids before surgery, underwent surgery, took opioid pain medication, and continued to use the opioid prescription after the operation, even after all wounds had healed and physical recovery was complete.

  The research highlights one pathway for long-term opioid use: opioid users who begin taking the pills following a surgical operation.