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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staff
If you have symptoms of COPD and a history of exposure to lung irritants — especially cigarette smoke — your doctor may recommend some of the following tests.
Imaging tests
- Chest X-ray. In a few people, a chest X-ray can show emphysema — one of the main causes of COPD. More importantly, an X-ray can help rule out other lung problems, such as lung cancer, or heart failure.
- Computerized tomography (CT). CT scans combine X-ray images taken from many different angles to create detailed, cross-sectional images of internal organs. A CT scan of your lungs can help detect emphysema and help determine if you might benefit from surgery for COPD.
Lab tests
- Arterial blood gas analysis. This blood test measures how well your lungs are bringing oxygen into your blood and removing carbon dioxide. The blood is usually drawn from an artery in your wrist.
- Sputum examination. Analysis of the cells in the mucus you cough up, which is known as sputum, can help identify the cause of your lung problems and help rule out some lung cancers. If you have a productive cough, identifying a bacterial pathogen and treating it before it causes pneumonia is good preventive medicine.
Pulmonary function tests
Spirometry is the most common lung function test and the most important in diagnosing COPD and its stage. During this test, you'll be asked to blow into a large tube connected to a spirometer. This machine measures how much air your lungs can hold and how fast you can blow the air out of your lungs. Spirometry can detect COPD even before you have symptoms of the disease. By repeating it at intervals, this test can also be used to track the progression of disease and to monitor how well treatment is working.
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- Rennard SI. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Definition, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and staging. http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 13, 2011.
- What is COPD? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Copd/Copd_All.html. Accessed Jan. 13, 2011.
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- Shapiro SD, et al. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In: Mason RJ, et al. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/192068760-2/0/1288/0.html. Accessed Jan. 13, 2011.
- Rosenow EC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 17, 2011.
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