• Aid in the diagnosis and staging of COPD
  • Aid in the diagnosis of asthma
  • Aid in determining appropriate treatment for patients with shortness of breath
  • Aid in tracking lung function over time (either improvement or deterioration) in patients with certain chronic diseases (e.g. sarcoidosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, neuromuscular, etc.)
  • Screening patients who are asymptomatic but at risk for developing lung disease (e.g. smokers)




Authored by William A. French. Medically reviewed by Dr. Barbara Erickson, PhD, RN, CCRN.




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