FAQs about Testing

FAQs about Testing

Expand all Collapse all

• Who should be referred for spirometry testing?

  Spirometry is recommended to confirm a diagnosis of asthma or COPD.

  Asthma should be suspected in patients ≥ 6 years of age with a history of recurrent respiratory symptoms including:

  • Cough
  • Breathlessness
  • Wheeze

  COPD should be suspected in patients ≥ 40 years of age, who are smokers or ex-smokers and answer "yes" to any of the following questions:

  • Do you cough regularly?
  • Do you cough up phlegm regularly?
  • Do even simple chores make you short of breath?
  • Do you wheeze when you exert yourself at night?
  • Do you get frequent colds that persist longer than other people you know?

• How do I refer a patient for testing?

  Referring your patient to RANA for testing is simple.

  • Download our Referral Form 
  • Fax the Referral Form to our office (fax 403-250-3055)

  If you would like additional copies of our referral form, please contact our office at 403-250-5674.

• Who books my patient's appointment for testing?

  RANA’s booking office contacts your patient to schedule the appointment and notifies your office of the appointment date. We also reschedule appointments directly with your patient.

• What testing is insured by Alberta Health and Wellness?

  Pulmonary function testing ordered by a physician is usually covered by Alberta Health and Wellness, as long as the patient has a valid AHC card. Reciprocal agreements with other provincial health service payment plans are also in place, so the costs of testing out-of-province patients are paid by their respective provincial health plans.

• What testing is not insured by Alberta Health and Wellness?

  The cost of the pulmonary function testing is not covered by AHC under these few circumstances:

  1. Third party testing

  • Tests required for WCB and other third-party payers. Usually the third-party pays for these tests.

  2. Non-medical reasons

  • Testing for pre-employment screening. This cost is usually paid for by the prospective employer.
  • Testing for certain certifications (e.g. SCUBA certification) is not covered. The patient is responsible for these testing costs.

  3. Research

  • Tests performed for clinical research. These costs are paid by the research facility.

• Can my patient take their inhaled bronchodilators before testing?

  To get an accurate pre-bronchodilator test result, we ask patients to refrain from using their inhaled bronchodilators prior to testing. If the patient has taken these medications prior to testing, the Therapist will note this on the report for the interpreting Respirologist.

• How long does the pulmonary function test take?

  Testing takes 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the tests.

• When does my office receive the results?

  Routine results and interpretations are faxed to your office within 5 business days of the completed tests. ABG results that are critical or required for initial AADL qualification are faxed to your office immediately after the test is complete; we also contact your office directly by phone with these results.

• Who books the appointment for testing with my patient?

  RANA’s booking office contacts your patient and books or reschedules their appointment directly.

• What tests are performed in the lab?

  RANA's lab performs body plethysmography and spirometry. Some of the specific parameters we measure during testing include the following:

  FVC - Forced Vital Capacity - after the patient has inhaled the deepest possible breath, the Forced Vital Capacity is the volume of air that can be forcibly and maximally exhaled out of the lungs until no more can be expired. FVC is usually expressed in liters. This PFT value is critically important in the diagnosis of obstructive and restrictive diseases.

  FEV1 - Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second - is the volume of air that can be forcibly exhaled from the lungs in the first second of a forced expiratory maneuver. FEV1 is expressed in liters. This PFT value is critically important in the diagnosis of obstructive and restrictive diseases.

  FEV1/FVC - FEV1 Percent (FEV1%) - this ratio of FEV1 to FVC indicates the percentage of the total FVC expelled from the lungs during the first second of forced exhalation - this number is also called FEV1%, %FEV1 or FEV1/FVC ratio. This PFT value is critically important in the diagnosis of obstructive and restrictive diseases.

  FEV3 - Forced Expiratory Volume in Three Seconds - is the volume of air that can be forcibly exhaled in three seconds - measured in Liters. The FEV3 is usually close to the FVC since most of the air in the lungs can be forcibly exhaled in three seconds in the normal individuals.

  FEV3/FVC - FEV3% - this ratio of FEV3 to the FVC indicates the percentage of the total FVC expelled during the first three seconds of forced exhalation. This can be called %FEV3 or FEV3%.

  PEFR - Peak Expiratory Flow Rate - is the maximum flow rate achieved by the patient during the forced vital capacity maneuver beginning after full inspiration and starting and ending with maximal expiration. It can be measured in L/sec or L/min. PEFR is a useful to see if treatment improves obstructive diseases like bronchoconstriction secondary to asthma.

  FEF - Forced Expiratory Flow - Forced Expiratory Flow is a flow rate measurement to determine how much air can be expired from the lungs. FEF is measured as liters/second or liters/minute. The FVC expiratory curve is divided into quartiles, so there is an FEF for each quartile. The quartiles are expressed as FEF25%, FEF50%, and FEF75% of FVC.

  FEF25% - the amount of air forcibly expelled in the first 25% of the total forced vital capacity test.

  FEF50% - the amount of air expelled from the lungs during the first half (50%) of the forced vital capacity test. This test is useful when looking for obstructive disease. The amount of air expired in an obstructed patient will be smaller than for a normal patient.

  FEF25%-75% - the amount of air expelled from the lungs during the middle half of the forced vital capacity test. Many physicians look at this value as an indicator of obstructive disease.

  MIP/MEP - the maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressure that can be developed by the respiratory musculature at specific lung volumes.

  DLCO - Diffusion Capacity - the carbon monoxide uptake from a single inspiration in standard time (usually 10 seconds).