Pulmonary Function Testing and Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing: An Overview. [Review]

Krol K; Morgan MA; Khurana S.

Medical Clinics of North America. 103(3):565-576, 2019 May.

Respiratory symptoms are common reasons for patients to seek care and
contribute significantly to use of health care resources. Identifying the
underlying etiology of a respiratory symptom is key to management; yet,
pinpointing the cause can be a challenge. Familiarity with the tools
available to help discern between the various contributing etiologies is
crucial in guiding management. Assessment and quantification of pulmonary
function can provide an objective measure to guide diagnosis and therapy.
We review key points of pulmonary function evaluation, highlighting
indications and contraindications, fundamentals of interpretation, and the
limitations of each individual component.