What Is Spirometry? | COPD Alliance

Spirometry is a test that shows how well your patient’s lungs are working. The test measures the amount of air a patient can breathe out and the amount of time it takes to do so. Spirometry can be administered by trained office staff in a primary care setting.

Spirometry is an important tool in diagnosing COPD.

The use of spirometry testing may help you:

Confirm a diagnosis of COPD
Show the severity of your patient’s COPD
Help you decide what medicines and health instructions are appropriate for your patient
Show how well the prescribed treatment and disease management activities are working

Related resources:

view or download spirometry demonstration video

T - Test and diagnose using spirometry (download slides)

What happens in a spirometry test?

The testing machine is called a spirometer.
The spirometer has a tube that a patient puts in his or her mouth.
You may ask your patient to:
- Wear a nose clip to prevent air from leaking
- Take a deep breath in and breathe out through the mouth as hard and fast as possible
Once the test is complete, you will review the results with your patient.

What do the spirometry scores mean?

Your patient may have abnormal lung function if he or she has a FEV1/FVC ratio of less than 70%.
If your patient has COPD, you will know:
- How severe your patient's disease is
- How the current test compares with prior tests
- If the treatment plan prescribed is helping your patient's lungs

Press Releases

Spirometry is an important tool in diagnosing COPD.

What happens in a spirometry test?

What are the important measurements (scores) in a spirometry test?

What do the spirometry scores mean?