CPAP/ BiPAP CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. This is a therapy used most often for patients that have Obstructive Sleep Apnea . Continuous air pressure is delivered to the patients upper airways by way of a mask worn during sleep. Oxygen therapy can also be delivered through the machine with an attachment to the patient circuit on the CPAP machine. This type of therapy helps the patient keep night time oxygenation saturation at a premium. BiPAP stands for Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure. This therapy is also used for the patient with Obstructive Sleep Apnea or for patients that hypoventilate or are hypercapnic . This machine delivers pressure to the airway at two pressure levels, a higher pressure for inspiration and a lower pressure for exhalation. This helps the wearer to be able to take a bigger breath than would be taken without the BiPAP, as well as helping with oxygenation. Contact your doctor for more information about CPAP or BiPAP therapy. PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTING Pulmonary Function testing is done to help in the diagnosis, monitoring and management of lung diseases such as Asthma , COPD and lung cancer . A machine called a Spirometer is used to determine how much air you are able to move into and out of your lungs. This produces a clear picture of your lung function for your doctor to determine whether or not you would benefit from certain types of therapies or medications. OXYGEN SATURATION Oxygen is used by all the organs in the body for proper functioning. When you breathe, oxygen is taken out of the air and dissolved into the blood through the lungs. Oxygen is then carried to the organs through the blood. Carbon dioxide, which is a waste product produced by the organs after oxygen is used up is then carried by the blood to the lungs to be exhaled out of the body. The amount of oxygen in the blood can be estimated by use of pulse oximetry, a machine that uses a finger probe and ultra-violet light waves to measure the oxygen. If the oxygen saturation becomes too low, the organs can become oxygen deprived and quit functioning properly. Oxygen saturation can be improved by use of supplemental oxygen delivered to the lungs via oxygen tubing and use of an oxygen concentrator or oxygen cylinders. INHALED MEDICATIONS There are many kinds of medications which are inhaled into the lungs to help patients with lung disorders to breathe better. These medications can be delivered to the lungs using nebulizers, meter-dose inhalers and dry powder inhalers. Nebulizers use pressurized air or oxygen to turn a liquid into a vapor that can then be inhaled into the lungs. Meter-dose inhalers are a pressurized canister that release a metered amount of medication as a vapor to be inhaled. Dry powdered inhalers allow a precise amount of medication to be inhaled into the lungs. Our staff is here to help teach you the proper techniques for using these devices so that the optimum benefit can be derived from the medications your doctor prescribes for you. EKG/ HOLTER MONITORING EKG, or ECG stands for Electrocardiogram. An electrocardiogram is a way to check the electrical activity of the heart. Leads are placed on the chest all around the heart, on the arms and the legs. These leads “read” the electricity produced by the heart and create a tracing which can tell the doctor if there are problems with the heart. This test takes only a few seconds, and shows what the heart is doing at the time the EKG is performed. This “picture” of the heart will help the doctor determine proper therapies and interventions to help your heart function better. Holter monitoring is very similar to an EKG, except that it records the electrical activity for 24 to 48 hours. This is done by use of a small recording device that you wear on your hip or over your shoulder for the amount of time specified. While you are wearing the Holter monitor, you can also mark the recording if you experience feelings of palpitations, shortness of breath or other symptoms that concern you. The doctor can then look at this “picture” to see if there are times or activities that cause your heart to become stressed.