News You Can Use

Both the ATS and ACOEM stress the importance of Spirometry refresher training, since it has been observed that test performance by well trained technicians can decay over a period of time resulting in an increasing prevalence of poor quality data. Poor quality data...

BackgroundAccording to NIOSH, the number one cause of work related disease and injury in the workplace is Occupational Lung Diseases. This fact, along with the increasing incidence of disabling lung diseases due to cigarette smoking may be sufficient reason for...

Stand by for some grim statistics. Chronic Respiratory Diseases (COPD) in the U.S. is reaching epidemic proportions. An estimated 28 million are affected, and in addition, 400,00 workers develop occupationally related disorders annually. The associated costs total...

In spirometry testing, you may have noticed that the players don’t just step up to the mound and perform their best. They need firm and consistent coaching from the sidelines to give that maximal effort needed for a valid test. The spirometry game becomes a...

Identify those nurses who will be collecting spirometry data. Verify training. Identify the make and model of spirometers that will be used to collect data. Establish the spirometer program criteria that will be used for all spirometers in use. Establish testing...

The ATS 1994 Update recommends that spirometry data collection programs be subject to a Quality Control review to insure the continued collection of valid data. The basis for this recommendation stems from the National Lung Health Study which demonstrated that a...

The goal of each prebronchodilator testing set and post-bronchodilator testing set is to achieve a minimum of three acceptable FEY 1 and three acceptable PVC measurements. Note that acceptable FEV1 and acceptable PVC measurements are not necessarily from the same...

Because Spirometry requires a maximum cooperation from the subject, and anything less than maximum can result in an invalid test or a false negative or positive, wouldn't it be useful if there were a mechanism available to help you, the technician, determine the type...

(Palmer Associates Inc.' Teaching Philosophy)"Hello, Students. So your employer sent you for our two day course at this nice hotel so you can earn a certificate by passing an exam tomorrow afternoon"? Feeling a little pressure? Who wouldn't?Over the years we've become...

Fainting is the most common complication of Spirometry. Although it rarely results in injury, it is disturbing to both subject and technician and may be hazardous in some instances. For safety of the subject, piece of mind of the technician or nurse, and for optimal...

Spirometry training provides the student with the basic knowledge and skills to correctly perform the test and obtain meaningful data. There needs to be a complete understanding of the three phases of the spirogram curve and what happens to them when acceptability...

By Dr. Alan Palmer Spirometry is the only test available to the primary care physician for the early detection of COPD, when it is most amenable to treatment and perhaps reversal. If this statement is true, why is it not being used more? Dr. Charles Irvin of the...

Jul 14, 2005 - Canadian scientists have found a significant link between small decreases in lung function and an elevated risk of lung cancer, with a stronger association in women than men.Individuals with severely impaired lung function have an increased risk of lung...

The new 2005 ATS/ERS Spirometry Standard is in effect and we want to highlight key changes to equipment and test procedures to keep you updated.Equipment Performance Specifications: All are unchanged except for:PEF: Accuracy + 10% of reading or + .40 L/sec, whichever...

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP s) provide a blue print for standardizing the test preparation steps; test procedures and data disposition to be followed by all trained and certified technicians performing spirometry. Not only is it a good idea to have such a...

Towards Spirometry Excellence: Part 1In the last newsletter the need for a “Standard Operating Procedure” (SOP) manual was discussed. This statement details the contents of a useable SOP:1. Prescreening QuestionsThese questions must be asked by the technician prior to...