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Point-of-Care pulmonary and respiratory testing.
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Pulse Oximetry: A preferred non-invasive method allowing the monitoring of the oxygenation of a patient's hemoglobin.
A sensor is placed on a thin part of the patient's anatomy, usually a fingertip or earlobe, or in the case
of a neonate, across a foot, and a light containing both red and infrared wavelengths is passed from one
side to the other. Changing absorbance of each of the two wavelengths is measured, allowing determination
of the absorbances due to the pulsing arteria blood alone.
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Arterial Blood Gas: (ABG) is a blood test that is primarily performed using blood from an artery. It
involves puncturing an artery with a thin needle and syringe and drawing a small volume of blood.
The test is used to determine the pH of the blood, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide and oxygen, and the
bicarbonate level. Many blood gas analyzers will also report concentrations of lactate, hemoglobin, several
electrolytes, oxyhemoglobin, carboxyhemoglobin and methemoglobin. Arterial Blood Gas testing is mainly used
in pulmonology, to determine gas exchange levels in the blood related to lung function, but has a variety of
applications in other areas of medicine.
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Pulmonary Function: also known as Spirometry (meaning the measuring of breath) is the most common of the
pulmonary function testing (PFTs), measuring lung function, specifically the measurement of the amount (volume)
and/or speed (flow) of air that can be inhaled and exhaled.
Pulmonary Function testing is an important tool used for generating pneumotachographs which are helpful in
assessing conditions such as asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and COPD.
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EKG Testing: An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a recording of the electrical activity of the heart
over time produced by an electrocardiograph, usually in a noninvasive recording via skin electrodes.
Electrical impulses in the heart originate in the sinoatrial node and travel through the heart muscle where
they impart electrical initiation of systole or contraction of the heart. The electrical waves
can be measured at selectively placed electrodes (electrical contacts) on the skin. Electrodes on different
sides of the heart measure the activity of different parts of the heart muscle.
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