PULMONARY FUNCTION AND PULMONARY EXERCISE STRESS TEST

PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS (PFT) measure how well your child’s lung is working. The tests involve blowing into a device attached to computers. An expert technologist will teach your child how to do the tests properly.

After preliminary lung function is measured, your child will be challenged to exercise on a treadmill or a stationary bicycle. Your child will be challenged to exercise until your child is exhausted or out of breath. This typically occurs within 10-15 minutes.

After test, lung function will be remeasured.

No. However, because your child will be challenged to exercise as hard as possible, your child may experience leg pain and fatigue. If your child has trouble with exercise (which is usually the reason for the test), your child may experience breathing or chest discomfort after exercise.

Yes. There are no risks from performing this test beyond the risks with any vigorous exercise.

In general, the doctor referring you for the test will already have arranged for authorization for your test by your insurance company. But it is your responsibility to have authorization before the test. Be sure to talk with the pulmonary office and confirm that the authorization is completed.

Register for the test at the hospital registration area 30 minutes before the test is scheduled.

For Children’s Hospital Oakland, go to the PFT Laboratory at 3rd Floor of Main Hospital, 747 52nd St., Oakland, CA.

For California Pacific Medical Center, go to the PFT Laboratory at 5th Floor of Stanford Building at 2340 Clay Street. This building is next to the main hospital at the Pacific Campus at 2333 Buchanan Street, San Francisco (at the corner of Buchanan and Clay Streets).

The test itself will take about 3 hours. However, when you add parking, registration and instruction time, you should allow 4 hours for the entire test.

Normal comfortable and light clothing for vigorous exercise. Running shorts and shoes.

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, do NOT use these medications: Xopenex and Duoneve 12 hours before the test.

A light meal is fine.

No sedation is used for this test. An asthma medication like albuterol or xopenex will be used for the test.

No.

This test is usually used to measure how you are doing on a regular day. If you are sick, the test will need to be cancelled—unless your doctor says you should still do the test. Please call the lab as soon as you think you will not be able to do the test. We will need to reschedule the test.

Notify the Pulmonary office at (510-428-3305) AND the Pulmonary Function Lab (CHO 510-428-3311; CPMC 415-428-3995) ASAP. If your child needs to have the test cancelled or rescheduled, we need to know ASAP so that we can allow another child to get tested.

If you need to cancel the test the weekend or night before the scheduled test, please call the pulmonologist on-call at 510-428-3000 and notify the doctor that they must contact the PFT lab ASAP.
If you cancel without a valid reason, with less than 24 hours notice you will be charged a fee.

A copy of the results will be sent to your regular doctor and any specialist who referred you for the test. Your doctors should have the results of the test within 2 weeks of the test.

Your doctor needs to take into account the results of the tests and other information about your condition. You should discuss the results of the tests with your doctor.

This will be up to you and your doctor.