Pulmonary Function Test

[Guest guest]

Pulmonary function test

Hi Squeek: The PFT I had was totally different from what everyone else has described. I had mine at Virginia Mason in Seattle. I was put into a special chamber and the technician closed the door and sat down at his desk with all kind of dial and equipment and instructed me via intercom as to what I was to do. I did have a clip to stop nose breathing. The whole thing took about 25 minutes and not only tested for the amount of air I was able to inhale and breath out but it also did a chemical analysis on the air going in and out. It was rather involved. Dr. Buckner said it was fine, but I have already decided that she has a policy of never giving RP patients bad news unless she just can't avoid it. She's very much aware of what stress will do to RP people. I'm satisfied knowing no more than I know also because I have complete faith in her ability to do what ever is necessary to do. In general, this test was much more sophisticated than you have described, and I would guess that not every facility has the ability to perform a test like this.Methotrexate: With all the good news about the possible benefits of MTX I feel a lot better about taking it. I just wish it wouldn't make me so tired afterwards. It kind of slows me down for a bit. I feel just a little trace of nausea sometimes, but not bad enough to complain about or even mention really. Dr. Buckner says that older patients tolerate it better so I guess I'm glad I'm older. What a reason!! Smiles and hugs to all. Dagny__________________________________________________________________Your favorite stores, helpful shopping tools and great gift ideas. Experience the convenience of buying online with Shop@Netscape! http://shopnow.netscape.com/Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Mail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com/DISCLAIMER!!WE ARE NOT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, THEREFORE ANY INFORMATION THAT IS RECEIVED HERE IS FROM EXPERIENCE ONLY. PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE TRYING ANYTHING THAT IS SUGGESTED. WE ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR YOUR PHYSICIAN AND ARE NOT TRYING TO BE. REMEMBER EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT AND TREATMENT MAYBE DIFFERENT FOR MANY OF US. THANK YOU

[Guest guest]

Hi I have taken this test also --

I didn't take this in my doctors office, i had to go to a Vencor Hospital, that's here in Tx. I have taken so many test, this was 4 years ago, as i read the posts, i remember something. Pretty much every breathing test i took indicated that my breathing was decreasing and poor. They could tell me what was wrong but didn't have a plan on what to do. I am so thankful i am with a team of doctors who are willing to go that extra mile. When i got out of the hospital the doctors who cared for me in Dallas at Zale Lipsy when it was time to release me, they did not want me to go back to my doctors in Arlington, they wanted to continue to care for me.

Take Care

Pulmonary function test

Hi Squeek: The PFT I had was totally different from what everyone else has described. I had mine at Virginia Mason in Seattle. I was put into a special chamber and the technician closed the door and sat down at his desk with all kind of dial and equipment and instructed me via intercom as to what I was to do. I did have a clip to stop nose breathing. The whole thing took about 25 minutes and not only tested for the amount of air I was able to inhale and breath out but it also did a chemical analysis on the air going in and out. It was rather involved. Dr. Buckner said it was fine, but I have already decided that she has a policy of never giving RP patients bad news unless she just can't avoid it. She's very much aware of what stress will do to RP people. I'm satisfied knowing no more than I know also because I have complete faith in her ability to do what ever is necessary to do. In general, this test was much more sophisticated than you have described, and I would guess that not every facility has the ability to perform a test like this.Methotrexate: With all the good news about the possible benefits of MTX I feel a lot better about taking it. I just wish it wouldn't make me so tired afterwards. It kind of slows me down for a bit. I feel just a little trace of nausea sometimes, but not bad enough to complain about or even mention really. Dr. Buckner says that older patients tolerate it better so I guess I'm glad I'm older. What a reason!! Smiles and hugs to all. Dagny__________________________________________________________________Your favorite stores, helpful shopping tools and great gift ideas. Experience the convenience of buying online with Shop@Netscape! http://shopnow.netscape.com/Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Mail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com/DISCLAIMER!!WE ARE NOT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, THEREFORE ANY INFORMATION THAT IS RECEIVED HERE IS FROM EXPERIENCE ONLY. PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE TRYING ANYTHING THAT IS SUGGESTED. WE ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR YOUR PHYSICIAN AND ARE NOT TRYING TO BE. REMEMBER EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT AND TREATMENT MAYBE DIFFERENT FOR MANY OF US. THANK YOU

[Guest guest]

> Hi Squeek: The PFT I had was totally different

> from what everyone else has described. I had mine

> at Virginia Mason in Seattle. I was put into a

> special chamber and the technician closed the door

> and sat down at his desk with all kind of dial and

> equipment and instructed me via intercom as to what

> I was to do. I did have a clip to stop nose

> breathing. The whole thing took about 25 minutes

> and not only tested for the amount of air I was able

> to inhale and breath out but it also did a chemical

> analysis on the air going in and out. It was rather

> involved. Dr. Buckner said it was fine, but I have

> already decided that she has a policy of never

> giving RP patients bad news unless she just can't

> avoid it. She's very much aware of what stress will

> do to RP people. I'm satisfied knowing no more than

> I know also because I have complete faith in her

> ability to do what ever is necessary to do. In

> general, this test was much more sophisticated than

> you have described, and I would guess that not every

> facility has the ability to perform a test like

> this.

>

> Methotrexate: With all the good news about the

> possible benefits of MTX I feel a lot better about

> taking it. I just wish it wouldn't make me so tired

> afterwards. It kind of slows me down for a bit. I

> feel just a little trace of nausea sometimes, but

> not bad enough to complain about or even mention

> really. Dr. Buckner says that older patients

> tolerate it better so I guess I'm glad I'm older.

> What a reason!! Smiles and hugs to all. Dagny

Hi Dagny and thanks for the information about your

breathing test. I will keep all this information so

that if I ever need it I will be able to ask for what

I want very specificially.

Glad you are doing well on MTX. The new reports do

make it sound very promising. I'm just sorry that I

couldn't take it....hey, I'm old too!!! There are

some distinct advantages to being older, aren't there!

Can't wait to see you and Glenda again. Love, squeek

> Your favorite stores, helpful shopping tools and

> great gift ideas. Experience the convenience of

> buying online with Shop@Netscape!

> http://shopnow.netscape.com/

>

> Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Mail account

> today at http://webmail.netscape.com/

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi all!! My daughter is scheduled to have her first PFT. What should I expect?

She is only 11 months, so how do they actually do the test? I'm kind of nervous

about it, not really sure why, but I am. I'm scared that her actual lung

function might not be as good as I want it to be.

Katy

Mom to Austin almost 4 w/o CF & Piper w/CF

[Guest guest]

A PFT at 11 months? I wonder how they will do it for one so little.

started them at 3 and is considered young to be doing it. They have this tube

thing that she has to breathe into while not letting the breath out of her nose.

The tube thing is hooked up to a machine and computer that measures the velocity

of the forced air. They have to be able to follow the directions of the person

doing the test I'm sure I'm not explaining this very well. I'm sure, someone

else can explain it better than I can.

Pulmonary Function Test

Hi all!! My daughter is scheduled to have her first PFT. What should I

expect? She is only 11 months, so how do they actually do the test? I'm kind

of nervous about it, not really sure why, but I am. I'm scared that her actual

lung function might not be as good as I want it to be.

Katy

Mom to Austin almost 4 w/o CF & Piper w/CF

[Guest guest]

I saw an article on this when Patti (2 wcf) was an infant. They basically strap

something around the outside of the baby and measure chest circumference as they

breathe. Our cf doc said it doesn't hurt to have it done, but there is really

no data to put the baby's numbers up against. So it was basically like taking a

test that you had no way of grading. We opted not to have it done. Not to say

that you shouldn't...it's just that I have to take four children with me to

every clinic visit. They try to be good, but when you have to sit for a total

of three hours to see every one and the doctor...and then add more sitting time

for another test.... No way :-)

Dawn mom of 4, 7 and under, the youngest wcf

[Guest guest]

It really is not a painful or traumatic experience, with us, a

has to blow into this mouth piece, pretending to blow candles, have

you ever seen a peak flow? sort of like that but with a wide body

with a filter, it kind of resembles a big top, with a wide tubing on

the top and another wide tubing at the end, hooked through a hose to

a computer.

Even for a, she is almost 10, has a hard time blowing, because

the patient has to forcibly blow into the mouth piece, which is wide

and sort of bulky, bigger than their little mouth. The one that they

use at our doctors office, the mouth piece is twice as big than the

regular peak flow. Our nurse says even older kids have a hard time

blowing. I can't imagine how a baby could blow into that thing.

Well, let us know.

Love,

mom of a 9 wcf, Venanzio 6 nocf, Pepe 3 nocf

> A PFT at 11 months? I wonder how they will do it for one so

little. started them at 3 and is considered young to be doing

it. They have this tube thing that she has to breathe into while not

letting the breath out of her nose. The tube thing is hooked up to a

machine and computer that measures the velocity of the forced air.

They have to be able to follow the directions of the person doing the

test I'm sure I'm not explaining this very well. I'm sure, someone

else can explain it better than I can.

>

> Pulmonary Function Test

>

>

> Hi all!! My daughter is scheduled to have her first PFT. What

should I expect? She is only 11 months, so how do they actually do

the test? I'm kind of nervous about it, not really sure why, but I

am. I'm scared that her actual lung function might not be as good as

I want it to be.

>

> Katy

> Mom to Austin almost 4 w/o CF & Piper w/CF

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Katy,

I'm going to try this again, I forwarded this but it never made it. I

originally posted this to the cystic-l site.

I just wanted to tell you about my daughters Infant PFT, she is 7 months

old today. We went in for the test yesterday and she did great. She

was such a trooper! She could not eat or drink anything for 4 hours

before the test and she could not sleep either. We got there and they

checked her height, weight, vitals etc... Then they gave her the

sedative (Chloral Hydrate) orally and I rocked her till she fell asleep.

The sedative puts them into a deep sleep; it is not like putting them

under with anesthesia. This took a whole 5 minutes, she was so tired.

The test took about 2 hours and she was asleep the whole time. The

sedative is the main risk factor of the study. They monitored her heart

rate, breathing rate and oxygen levels the whole time. Afterwards, she

was groggy and her head was a little floppy but she nursed fine and

didn't seem to have any of the side effects (nervousness, excitement,

nausea, diarrhea...). She also slept a lot the rest of the day and

slept through the night last night (11 hours) but woke up in the morning

totally normal and hungry.

The first part of the test is done to measure lung volumes. They laid

her on a blanket inside a clear box and put a facemask on her nose and

mouth (which remains there throughout the study). Then they closed the

box and observed her breathing. This took about 5 min, and then the box

was open the rest of the time.

The second part involved putting a vest around her chest and abdomen to

measure how much air she could " blow out " . The vest inflates to help

empty the lungs then deflates and allows her to take a full breath

again. She would take 4 breaths then the vest would inflate etc... They

did this cycle quite a few times, I guess until they felt she produced

the highest flows she could. This was kind of freaky to watch, I felt

like I was watching her on life support or something.

The third part of the test measures flows during quiet breathing and

basically the same thing was done using the vest but this time no air

was given to help inflate the lungs. After her normal breath in, the

vest would " hug " (that was the term the Dr. used) and help her blow out.

Again this took about 20min. They repeated it until they got the highest

flows she could do.

The last part measures the stiffness of her lungs and that just involved

her breathing normally into the mask. It has a valve on it which they

close for a fraction of a second but it allows them to measure the mouth

pressure.

I watched the whole thing and I can honestly say I stressed about it for

nothing...well, not nothing but it was not bad at all. She woke up

about 5 minutes after they finished and smiled.

From what they told me, the primary risks are the sedative, blocking of

the airway and vomiting. That is why they don't want the child to eat

beforehand. Also, if the child has enlarged tonsils or reflux they

don't do the test because the tonsils can block the airway and the

reflux can cause vomiting. Ellie has reflux but it is under control

with medication so they weren't worried.

After it was all over, they went over the test results with me and

explained everything they were able to learn from it. Now we have a

good baseline to go from and we know that our current treatment is

working and nothing needs to be changed. We also know how her lungs are

compared to a girl her ht,wt,age etc... without CF. They said they

would like to do this about every 6 months until she's 3. After that

the sedative does not work very well.

I hope this helps,

Mom to Ellie 7mo wcf, Jack 2yrs nocf

Pulmonary Function Test

Hi all!! My daughter is scheduled to have her first PFT. What should I

expect? She is only 11 months, so how do they actually do the test?

I'm kind of nervous about it, not really sure why, but I am. I'm scared

that her actual lung function might not be as good as I want it to be.

Katy

Mom to Austin almost 4 w/o CF & Piper w/CF

[Guest guest]

Sorry I am late on the reply. With a baby they put the child to sleep

with chloryl hydrate drops and then do it with computers while the

kid sleeps. It's easy and painless, just a bit time-consuming.

Ricky had it twice. When he was four he started doing traditional

PFTs and just recently started getting actual accurate, measurable

results at 7.

Becky

> A PFT at 11 months? I wonder how they will do it for one so little.

started them at 3 and is considered young to be doing it.

They have this tube thing that she has to breathe into while not

letting the breath out of her nose. The tube thing is hooked up to a

machine and computer that measures the velocity of the forced air.

They have to be able to follow the directions of the person doing

the test I'm sure I'm not explaining this very well. I'm sure,

someone else can explain it better than I can.

>