Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Exams and Tests
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can usually be diagnosed using a medical history and lung function tests, such as spirometry. Your doctor will also conduct a physical examination and take a chest X-ray to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms, such as asthma. Some tests are done to rule out other diseases or conditions that may make COPD worse and its treatment more difficult.
Early detection of COPD is very important. The sooner you quit smoking and avoid other environmental factors that contribute to COPD, the better your chance of slowing damage to your airways and lungs.
Routine tests
- A history and physical exam provide important information needed to diagnose, treat, and monitor COPD.
- Lung function tests measure the amount of air in your lungs and the speed at which air moves in and out of the lungs and airways. They provide the essential information needed to diagnose, grade, treat, and monitor COPD. Spirometry is the most important of these tests.
- A chest X-ray helps ensure that there are no heart or lung problems (such as cancer) causing your symptoms.
- A complete blood count (CBC) can reveal information about how well oxygen is getting into the blood and about possible infection.
Tests done as needed
- Arterial blood gases test measures the amount of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and acid in the blood. It is used in making the decision about using oxygen therapy.
- Oximetry measures the oxygen saturation in the blood. It can be useful in finding out whether oxygen therapy is needed but provides less information than an arterial blood gases test.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG) or echocardiogram may diagnose certain heart problems that can cause shortness of breath.
- A sputum exam looks at coughed-up mucus (sputum) and may be used to determine whether bacteria are causing a lung infection.
- Transfer factor for carbon monoxide (sometimes called a DLCO determination, or a lung-diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide) is a test to help determine whether your lungs have been damaged, and if so, the extent of the damage. The test is also used to assess the severity of your COPD.
Tests rarely done
- A test to measure levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT). AAT is a protein that helps protect the lungs from the damage caused by inflammation that can lead to emphysema and COPD.
- A computed tomography (CT) scan provides a detailed image of the lungs. It may be used to get a detailed look at lung damage caused by emphysema. It also may be used to diagnose other problems in the lungs, such as blood clots or possible tumors.
Regular checkups
Because COPD is a progressive disease, it is important to schedule regular checkups with your doctor. Spirometry may be done at the checkup, and the results of this test may show that you need an arterial blood gas test. If your checkup suggests complications, then X-rays or ECGs may be done. Your doctor also will ask about medicines and whether you experience sudden or prolonged changes in your symptoms (COPD exacerbations) and possibly make changes in the medicines you are using.
Early Detection
Screening is often recommended for adults who are at increased risk for developing COPD. These people include:
- Smokers and ex-smokers.
- People with long-term (chronic) asthma.
- People with a strong family history of emphysema.
- People with significant on-the-job exposure to lung irritants, such as chemicals.
Screening is often done using spirometry, which can detect obstructive airway disease in its early stages.
Screening of the general population is not recommended for detecting levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin.4
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| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS | Last Updated: May 8, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Ken Y. Yoneda, MD - Pulmonology | |
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