What about All Those Tests?
You will have had a lot of different tests to help your physician determine that you have COPD and the extent of the disease. We’ve included some of the more common ones.
Pulse Oximetry
We call this measurement by a lot of different names. Sats, O2 sats, SpO2, SaO2 all mean basically the same thing. This is a value that gives us an idea of how much oxygen is in your blood. It is not as accurate as doing a blood gas, but it is a lot less painful and can be done quickly and easily, even while you are exercising. There is a small probe that fits over your finger (or on your forehead) and it looks at how much light can be shone through the finger and calculates the oxygen level. You will have this test done often.
Pulmonary Function Tests
Pulmonary function tests or PFT’s are a series of tests that measure your lung function. You will be asked to breathe in different ways while attached to a machine that will measure the air you breathe in and out. These tests are done in a lab, sometimes in the hospital and sometimes in a physician’s office. The test is like a snapshot of what is going on inside your lungs. When we have all of the information we can tell how much air moves in and out of your lungs, if you have extra air in your lungs after you breathe out, and how well oxygen can get from the lungs into the blood stream.
Spirometry
This is a scaled down PFT. It just measures the amount of air you can get in and out of your lungs and how quickly it can move. This is a portable test and can be done pretty well anywhere. We use this test to watch for progression of the COPD and to see how well your medicines are working.
Arterial Blood Gases
Arterial blood gases or ABG’s is a blood sample taken from an artery in your wrist. We can determine the level of oxygen, carbon dioxide and the acidity of your blood.
- Oxygen – Sometimes people with COPD have low oxygen levels. If your oxygen level is below 55 then your doctor may order extra oxygen for you to wear.
- Carbon Dioxide – This is the gas that we breathe out. With the changes in the lungs with COPD, sometimes the carbon dioxide has difficulty leaving the lungs. Lots of people with COPD have high carbon dioxide levels and their bodies have adapted to this over time.
- Acidity – This value will help your health care providers to determine if changes in your blood gas values are normal for you.
