Spirometry

Spirometry, meaning the measuring of breath, is the most common of the pulmonary function tests. It measures lung function, specifically the volume and speed of air that can be inhaled and exhaled, and it is helpful in assessing breathing patterns that identify conditions such as asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as in health surveillance programs that track breathing patterns over time. The test generates volume-time curves and flow-volume loops that chart the volume and flow of air moving in and out of the lungs across one inhalation and one exhalation.