Pulmonary Lab
Altru's Pulmonary Lab provides diagnostic and therapeutic services to patients
with a variety of pulmonary disorders. Provided in Grand Forks since 1981,
the Pulmonary Lab includes four Pulmonary Function Testing rooms that
include state of the art equipment. Our physicians are board-certified
in pulmonary and sleep medicine. The technicians are registered respiratory
therapists who are certified or registered in pulmonary function.
For more information on Altru's Pulmonary Lab, please call
701.780.6400 or toll-free
800.732.4277, ext. 6400.
Pulmonary Tests
Pulmonary function tests can help a doctor diagnose a range of respiratory
diseases which might not otherwise be obvious to the doctor or patient.
Lung problems can be successfully treated if detected early. The pulmonary
function tests are used to measure how a lung disease is progressing and
can also be used to assess how well a patient is responding to different
treatments.
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Screening Spirometry - Measures how much air you can take into your lungs and how much air
you can blow out
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Pre and Post Bronchodilator Spirometry - Spirometry performed before and after a bronchodilator is administered
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Diffusion Capacity - Estimates how much oxygen is transported from the alveoli to your blood
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Lung Volumes - Measures how much air you inhale and how much air is left in your lungs
after you exhale
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Maximum Voluntary Ventilation - Assesses respiratory muscle strength
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Maximal Inspiratory and Expiratory Pressures - Assesses respiratory muscle strength
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Methacholine Challenge - Helpful in evaluating cough or possible asthma
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Pulmonary Stress Tests - To evaluate how well your heart and lungs work under stress
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Walking Oxygen Desaturation Studies - To measure the level of oxygen in your blood at rest and with exercise
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Bronchoscopies - To examine lung tissue for any damage or inflammation. During bronchoscopy,
small samples of lung tissue may be taken (biopsy) to confirm the diagnosis
of your lung problem.
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Arterial Blood Gas Analysis - To measure the amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood
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Pentamadine Treatments - An aerosolized medication used for treatment and prophylaxis of immuno-compromised
individuals
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Sputum Inductions - To identify any microorganisms that may be present in expectorated sputum
Electromagnetic Navigational Bronchoscopy®
Electromagnetic Navigational Bronchoscopy® (ENB) extends the reach
of a bronchoscope to regions deep within the lung. It uses GPS-like technology
to guide and steer catheters through complex airways, reaching distant
regions of the lung that traditional bronchoscopy cannot.
ENB technology improves diagnosis and treatment for Altru patients, minimizing
the need for more invasive, surgical procedures, and sometimes detecting
lung disease or cancer earlier.
How It Works
- After a physician locates a lesion, or spot, deep on the lung through an
X-ray, CT-Scan or PET-CT, the image is loaded onto planning software that
creates a 3D map of the lungs.
- A bronchoscope is placed through the mouth and into the airways of the lungs.
- Catheters are places in the bronchoscope channel, where electromagnetic
sensors guide the physician to the targeted lesion.
- Once at the targeted lesion, the guide catheter is removed and the extended
working channel catheter remains.
- The biopsy tools can be extended to collect tissue samples for testing,
diagnosis or placing a marker for treatment.
Altru Health System is the only facility in eastern North Dakota to offer
Electromagnetic Navigational Bronchoscopy.
Learn more about ENB in this Wellness In One.
Pulmonary Diseases
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Asthma
- Emphysema
- Acute Bronchitis
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- Sarcoidosis
- Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Pneumonia
- Lung Cancer
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Alpha 1 - Antitrypsin Deficiency
- Tuberculosis
- Cystic Fibrosis
Forms
Additional Resources