What is it?
The Reversibility Test is designed to determine whether your lung function can be improved after you have been given an inhaler.
How to prepare for your test
Prior to your appointment please do not take your inhalers for 12 hours. If you have any concerns about doing this please contact the department. Please bring your inhalers to take after the test as normal.
What is involved?
Before you are given an inhaler you will perform some baseline lung function tests.
This is normally Spirometry or Impulse Oscillometry. Once your physiologist is happy that the results are accurate you will be given an inhaler. Depending on what your doctor has requested this will be either inhaled Salbutamol or Ipratropium.
You will be given four puffs of the medication; to do this you will take a deep breath in through a tube and hold your breath for 10 seconds, during this manoeuvre you will receive a puff of medication and this will be repeated four times. After you have been given the inhaler you will wait for 20 minutes to give the medication time to work.
After 20 minutes you will repeat the lung function test which you performed at baseline. The aim is to see whether the medication has had a beneficial impact on your lung function results.
What happens after the test?
After the test your results will be reviewed by the referring consultant and discussed at your next clinic appointment.