[Medical Q&A] What should children pay attention to before undergoing lung function tests?

Author: Liu Fangjun Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University

Reviewer: Liu Sha, deputy chief physician, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University

Children should pay attention to the following points before undergoing lung function tests.

(1) Record the child's medication use and inform the physician, including the drug name, dosage, and last use time, so that the physician can determine whether the medication used will affect the test results.

(2) Follow-up time should be fixed. Children who are undergoing follow-up for chronic diseases should preferably be examined at the same time period every day (±2 hours).

(3) Avoid eating large amounts of food 2 hours before the examination; avoid strenuous exercise and crying 30 minutes before the examination; do not wear tight clothes; before the examination, let the child watch the examination video to understand the examination process, eliminate tension and fear, and better cooperate with the examination.

(4) For infants and young children, the examination should be performed in a medium to deep sleep state, and medication for sleep is recommended. The infants and young children should not eat or drink anything for 1 hour before taking medication for sedation.

(5) Exhaled nitric oxide test: Do not consume alcohol within 4 hours before the test; do not consume foods containing nitrates within 2 hours; do not eat or drink within 1 hour, and avoid strenuous exercise.

(6) You do not need to fast on the day of the examination and can have breakfast as usual.