DLCO test
The lungs can be damaged by several disorders, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A dysfunctional respiratory system may lead to symptoms such as wheezing or a generalised shortage of breath. Your doctor might prescribe a DLCO test to evaluate your lung function if you show any symptoms of a lung disorder.
A particular form of pulmonary function test is the diffusion lung capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) test. This test is fast and safe. The DLCO test is also called as lung diffusion test.
The lungs work by consuming oxygen upon inhalation. Carbon dioxide is a by-product of respiration and is subsequently exchanged for oxygen by the body, which exhales it. The ability of the lungs to distribute gases effectively can be compromised if they experience any impairment. As a consequence, a person’s lungs may contain a higher level of carbon dioxide than normal and may become incapable to absorb oxygen fully while inhaling.
With the help of the DLCO test, you can monitor how effectively your lungs exchange gases and you can look for lung injury, if any. To determine how much gas a patient has exhaled, a physician collects and analyses the air that is exhaled. This analysis indicates the degree to which the tracer (sample) gas is absorbed by the body. The results of this examination offer the physician an overview of the patient’s oxygen intake and the efficiency of their gas exchange systems.
Uses of the DLCO test
There are several reasons for performing the DLCO test. It may be used for any one of the following purposes:
- To determine the cause of a person’s breathing issues, such as loss of breath or other lung-related problems like tightness in the chest or discomfort, recurrent wheezing or coughing, or inability to run or walk as quickly as other people of similar ages.
- To find out if you have any lung damage
- To look for lung illness in an individual at risk. Heart disease, asthma or allergies, smoking, exposure to tuberculosis, and continuous exposure to asbestos, gases, or dusty environments are all risk factors.
- Before having surgery, to evaluate the patient’s degree of risk
- To evaluate lung health before starting an intense exercise schedule
- To estimate the impact of an existing illness on the functioning of the lungs
- To analyse the potential effectiveness of the present treatment
- To track the improvement or worsening of a current lung disorder
- To diagnose disorders such as interstitial fibrosis, pulmonary embolism, sarcoidosis, pulmonary hypertension, and lung haemorrhage.
Preparation required for the DLCO test
Preparation needed for the DLCO test is minimal and simple. To prepare before any kind of medical exam, you should always follow your doctor’s directions.
For the DLCO test, doctors may suggest the following:
- Take prescription drugs, as usual, for the entire day as instructed by your physician.
- Avoid smoking the day before the DLCO test.
- Do not use some short-acting drugs, like inhalers, before the DLCO test. This may sometimes not be possible.
- For a few hours before the examination, restrict from consuming food or beverages; however, it’s not always required.
- A doctor may stop the use of oxygen supplements for a minimum of ten minutes before the exam if it is considered safe. An oxygen mask might influence the DLCO test outcomes by raising the amount of oxygen and lowering carbon monoxide’s ability to bind to red blood cells (RBCs).
- Before a lung function test, it’s suggested that patients inquire with their physician about any tasks or medicines they should stop.
What to expect during a DLCO test/lung diffusion test?
The DLCO test, often known as the lung diffusion capacity test, can be performed in just a couple of minutes without causing the patient any discomfort. In most cases, it’s an outpatient exam, so you can return home on the same day.
A DLCO test usually includes the following steps:
- You’ll have a mouthpiece fitted firmly around your mouth. You won’t be able to breathe through your nostrils when the physician places clamps on your nose.
- You’ll inhale some air. A small, safe level of carbon monoxide will be present in the inhaled air.
- You will be instructed by the doctor to keep holding this air for around 10 counts.
- Your doctor will tell you to swiftly exhale the air that is still in your lungs. These air samples will be gathered and examined.
Risks of the DLCO test
The procedure of the DLCO test is simple and quite safe. A DLCO test carries no significant risks. The majority of individuals do not experience any serious pain or discomfort during the quick process of the DLCO test. After the test procedure is completed, you won’t encounter any unfavourable side effects.
Takeaway
A simple, safe method called the DLCO test can assist medical professionals in determining how well a patient’s lungs can exchange gases. The test may be used to evaluate the efficacy of lung-related therapies or to make diagnoses. To obtain a comprehensive clinical assessment of how well a person’s lungs are functioning, a doctor will frequently advise DLCO testing in conjunction with different pulmonary function tests. For example, PFT with DLCO.
