Appointments & Services:

For our patients’ convenience, we have established Pulmonary Function Laboratories in 7 of our 9 office locations. During your initial visit or in subsequent care, the physicians may order breathings tests to help diagnose your condition.

Pulmonary Function Tests
A Pulmonary Function Test asseses various lung disorders and evaluates the effectiveness of medications in patients with lung problems. This breathing test is a non-invasive procedure that does not require use of needles, nor is any blood drawn.

In The Asthma Center laboratory, our pulmonary function specialist will instruct you on the performance of various breathing maneuvers designed to measure a variety of lung functions. Our laboratory staff will encourage you to do your best, as the results depend on you or your child's full cooperation. The test takes an hour, and your doctor will review the results with you on your next office visit.

IMPORTANT

1.		Withhold any of the following for 8 hours: Accolate, Advair, albuterol, Alupent, Atrovent, Brethaire, Brethine, Combivent, DuoNeb, Foradil, formoterol, ipratropium, Maxair, metaproterenol, Proventil, salmeterol, Serevent, Singulair, tiotropium, Ventolin, Volmax and Xopenex.
2.		Unless your doctor has given you other specific medicine restrictions, all other medications may be taken.
3.		Avoid smoking for at least 6 hours prior to testing.
4.		Avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, colas, or chocolate drinks) and alcohol the morning of your appointment. You may eat or drink any other foods, in moderation, before your testing procedure.
5.		If withholding any medications causes breathing difficulty, please discuss this with your physician as soon as possible.

Methacholine Bronchoprovocation Challenge
This test asesses hyperreactivity of the airways. It will help confirm the presence or absence of clinical asthmatic responses. This breathing test is a non-invasive procedure that does not require use of needles, nor is any blood drawn. It takes about an hour.

The methacholine bronchoprovocation challenge is performed by the inhalation of gradually increasing doses of a medicine (methacholine) which will produce a fall in pulmonary function in a person with hyperactive airways.

IMPORTANT
This test should not be done if you have had a recent heart attack or stroke within the past 3 months, if you have uncontrolled hypertension, or if you have a history of aortic aneurysm. Please let the physician or pulmonary technician know if you have one of these conditions. Pregnant or nursing women may get this test only under certain conditions.

The methacholine challenge does not cause an asthma attack, but short-lived symptoms including wheeze, cough, shortness of breath and/or chest tightness may occur. However, many patients experience no symptoms at all. If symptoms occur, they will usually be completely reversed by therapeutic bronchodilator nebulizer treatment. Delayed or prolonged responses to methacholine are rare.

Please follow the below guidelines as they pertain to you:

1.		Withhold any of the following for 8 hours: albuterol, Alupent, Brethaire, Brethine, cromolyn, DuoNeb, Intal, Maxair, metaproterenol, Proventil, Ventolin and Xopenex.
2.		Withhold any of the following for 24 hours: Accolate, Advair, Astelin, Atrovent, Combivent, Foradil, formoterol, ipratropium, salmeterol, Serevent, Singulair, tiotropium and Volmax.
3.		Withhold any of the following for 48 hours: nedocromil, theophylline (Uniphyl, Uni-Dur) and Tilade.
4.		Withhold all antihistamines for 72 hours.
5.		Unless your doctor has given you other specific medicine restrictions, all other medications may be taken. (Specifically, you may continue corticosteroids or nasal sprays except for Astelin nasal spray.)
6.		Avoid significant exercise or exposure to cold air for at least 2 hours prior to testing.
7.		Avoid smoking for at least 6 hours prior to testing.
8.		Avoid ingestion of caffeine (coffee, tea, colas, or chocolate drinks) and alcohol at least 6 hours prior to testing. You may eat or drink any other foods, in moderation, before your testing procedure.
9.		If withholding any medications causes you to have difficulty in breathing, please discuss this with your physician as soon as possible.
10.		Due to the nature of this test, we request that family members, except for a parent, not be present in the PFT lab

Specialists in Allergy, Asthma and Sinusitis

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We specialize in:

Pulmonary function testing