How is a DCLO or diffusion capacity test performed?

How is a DCLO or diffusion capacity test performed?

Richard Sheldon (Medical Advisor to the CA State Respiratory Care Board) gives expert video advice on: Why would my doctor order peak flow testing?; How is a DCLO or diffusion capacity test performed? and more...

The diffusion capacity test is performed in several ways, depending on how you're set up to do it. There's really three different ways of doing it. There's the single breath method where you take a deep breath and hold it for ten seconds. There's also a rebreathing technique, where you rebreathe the carbon monoxide. There's a steady state test, where you keep breathing it until you reach what's called "steady state." All of which are quite painless, quite easily performed, and it will depend a lot on the lab and the type of patient you have whether you do a steady state, single breath, or a rebreathing form of the diffusion capacity test.