Respiratory Function Tests (RFTs) involve breathing into a mouthpiece, which is connected to a small machine via some tubing. You will be required to breathe in and out as deeply as possible, and then as fast and as forcefully as possible. The test may make you feel temporarily short of breath, but is otherwise harmless. More sophisticated testing such as gas transfer tests require the patient to breathe into a closed system, via a tight-fitting face mask.
Respiratory Function Tests (RFTs) may be requested by your doctor for symptoms such as shortness of breath (dyspnoea), cough or wheezing.
Respiratory Function Tests (RFTs) usually aim to distinguish between obstructive lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, versus restrictive lung diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis. The FEV1/FVC ratio is decreased in obstructive lung disease, and usually increased in restrictive patterns of lung disease.
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