Pulmonary function testing
Pulmonary function tests were performed in a negative-pressure room by a
technician wearing protective equipment to prevent transmission. The
patients’ age, height, and weight were measured and recorded. Before
testing, patients were instructed to abstain from smoking (24 hours),
alcohol (4 hours), strenuous exercise (30 minutes), and heavy meals (2
hours). Tests were performed with the patients lightly dressed. BTPS
correction was performed according to room air and barometric pressure.
The technician explained the desired maneuvers to the patients and they
performed 3 acceptable spirograms. Tests that met the reproducibility
and acceptability criteria were included in our analysis. All spirometry
was performed by the same technician using a Plusmed MIR Spirolab III
device.