Pulmonology Diagnosis

An accurate diagnosis is essential to ensure you receive the most effective and appropriate treatment for your respiratory concern. Our Pulmonary clinic in Dubai offers state-of-the-art pulmonary diagnostic tests, ensuring a diagnosis is prompt and allowing treatment and management strategies to begin immediately.

Pulmonary diagnostic tests may include:

Pulmonary function tests (PFT)

We offer a range of PFTs, also called pulmonary function tests, that allow our pulmonology specialists to see how well your lungs are working. Tests include:

• Spirometry: This test measures how much air the lungs can hold and how forcefully it can be exhaled.
• Lung volume measurements: A test to measure the amount of air the lungs can hold.
• Diffusing capacity test: This measures how well the lungs are able to deliver oxygen, from the air we breathe, into the blood.
• Exercise testing: These include the six-minute walk test, which measures functional ability in people with respiratory disease, and the cardiopulmonary exercise test, which looks at how the lungs, heart and muscles work together when you exercise.
• Hypoxic challenge test: This blood test measures the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood when resting.

Bronchoscopy

This is a diagnostic procedure performed by a pulmonologist that lets them see the lungs and air passages. Using a long, flexible tube with a camera and light on the end, the tube is inserted via the mouth or nose and passed down the throat and into the lungs. A surgical instrument can be passed through the tube to take a sample of tissue or mucus for testing (biopsy).

Bronchoalveolar lavage

Also called bronchoalveolar washing, this is a test that is often performed during a bronchoscopy. A saline solution is put through the tube and the airways are ‘washed’ so a sample of cells in fluid can be collected and tested. The test helps the diagnosis of lung disorders, such as fungal and bacterial infections or lung cancer.  

Imaging tests

A range of chest imaging tests allow pulmonologists to visualize the lungs and airways, to aid in the diagnosis of respiratory disorders. These include:

• Computed tomography (CT) scan
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
• Ultrasonography
• X-ray.

Pulse oximetry

This is a simple, noninvasive test to measure the level of oxygen in the blood. A device is placed on the fingertip and a light source applied. By analyzing the light that passes through the finger, it can quickly indicate the amount of oxygen in the blood.

Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis

This is a test performed on blood taken from an artery to assess partial pressure of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Partial pressure of oxygen provides information on oxygen saturation in the blood, and partial pressure of carbon dioxide gives information on ventilation status which can indicate respiratory failure.

Home sleeps studies

Also known as polysomnography, home sleep studies may involve wearing an oxygen monitor on a finger and/or a breathing monitor whilst sleeping. The monitors can track your breathing and measure oxygen levels in the blood and breathing effort. The studies help in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.

State-of-the-art pulmonology diagnostics

Our pulmonologists have access to the latest diagnostic tests for a range of respiratory concerns. Visit our Pulmonology clinic in Dubai today to learn more.