Respiratory Care Diagnostics & Testing

Comprehensive Diagnostic Testing to Determine Breathing Problems

At Bronson, all of our respiratory and pulmonary diagnostic tests are completed by respiratory technicians. They are specially trained in detecting breathing problems and are here to help you get back to doing the things you love. With testing sites throughout southwest and south central Michigan, you can always receive the tests you need close to home.

• Complete pulmonary function test – Pulmonary function tests measure how well you inhale and exhale air through the lungs, as well as how efficiently oxygen transfers into your blood. To complete the test, you breathe into a mouthpiece for a certain amount of time. This test is used to test for several lung conditions, but most often for asthma, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Click here for additional information on pulmonary function tests and testing locations.
• Exercise challenge testing – To conduct exercise challenge testing, you will perform different types of exercises – like running on a treadmill or riding a recumbent bike – while wearing a monitor to test breathing patterns. This test can be used to detect breathing problems like exercise-induced asthma or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.
• Methacholine challenge testing – If you have been diagnosed with asthma, you might need to complete the methacholine challenge test. It helps determine the severity of your condition. During the test, you will be asked to inhale a mist to determine how responsive your airway is.
• Simple spirometry – Simple spirometry is one of the most common types of pulmonary function tests. By exhaling slowly into a sensor, a respiratory technician will determine the amount and/or speed at which you inhale and exhale air. It can be used to test for conditions like asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis and COPD.
• Six-minute walks for oxygen qualification – The six-minute walk is used to test how far you can walk in six minutes. It helps measure the functional capacity of your lungs.

Test Details & Locations