PFT Test in Pokhara — Lung Function Test and Spirometry at KDRC

What is a PFT test?

A pulmonary function test (PFT) is a group of painless breathing tests that measure how much air your lungs can hold, how quickly you can blow it out, and how well your lungs are working overall. If you need a PFT test in Pokhara, KDRC offers lung function testing at its Shantipath centre in Amarsingh Chowk. The most common part of a PFT is spirometry, in which you breathe out as hard and as fast as you can into a tube connected to a machine called a spirometer.

People use many names for the same test: PFT, lung function test, spirometry test or simply a "breathing test". Doctors in Pokhara most often request it to check for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), to understand long-term breathlessness, or to check lung fitness before surgery. This page explains what the test measures, how to prepare, what happens on the day, how to read the main results, and how to book at Kaligandaki Diagnostic and Research Center (KDRC).

What does a lung function test measure?

A lung function test measures the volume of air you can breathe out and the speed at which you can move it, and these numbers are compared with typical values for someone of your age, height and sex. Cleveland Clinic explains that a result of 80% or more of the predicted value is generally considered normal. The table lists the main measurements you will see on a report.

No single number makes a diagnosis. Your doctor interprets the pattern together with your symptoms, examination and history.

Types of pulmonary function tests

Pulmonary function testing is a family of tests, and spirometry is the one performed most often. Large lung function laboratories, such as the one described by Cleveland Clinic, list spirometry, lung volumes, lung diffusion capacity, exhaled nitric oxide, challenge tests and the 6-minute walk test among their services. Your doctor chooses the combination that answers the clinical question. The table explains the common types.

Not every centre offers every test. When you book a PFT at KDRC, tell our staff exactly what your doctor has written on the request form, and they will confirm which parts can be done at the centre.

Why is a PFT done?

A PFT is done to find out whether breathing symptoms come from narrowed airways, stiff or small lungs, or another cause, and to track lung conditions over time. The NHS says spirometry is used to investigate symptoms, monitor known lung conditions, and check fitness before surgery. Common reasons for a lung function test in Pokhara include:

• Asthma: wheeze, cough and breathlessness that come and go, often worse at night or with cold air, dust or exercise.
• COPD: long-term breathlessness, a persistent chesty cough with phlegm and frequent chest infections, especially in smokers and former smokers.
• Restrictive lung disease: conditions where the lungs cannot fully expand, such as interstitial lung disease or chest wall problems.
• Before surgery: checking that the lungs can cope with an anaesthetic or a chest operation.
• Monitoring treatment: checking whether inhalers are working and whether lung function is stable.
• Work and environment: long-term exposure to dust, fumes or smoke.

Why this matters in Nepal

COPD is a major cause of illness worldwide. The World Health Organization ranks it as the third leading cause of death globally, with about 3.4 million deaths in 2023, and reports that nearly 90% of COPD deaths in people under 70 occur in low- and middle-income countries. WHO names household air pollution from cooking and heating with wood, other biomass or coal as a major risk factor in these countries, alongside tobacco. Many families in the hills around Pokhara have cooked over open fires for years. WHO also notes that COPD is confirmed by spirometry, and that missing this test is a common reason the disease goes undiagnosed. A simple breathing test can therefore make a real difference.

How to prepare for a PFT

Preparing for a PFT means avoiding things that temporarily change your breathing, such as smoking, large meals, alcohol and hard exercise, before the test. The NHS advises no smoking for 24 hours, no large meal for at least 2 hours and no alcohol for at least 4 hours beforehand. Cleveland Clinic adds avoiding heavy exercise for at least 30 minutes before the test. The timeline below brings these together.

Inhalers: the NHS advises stopping medicines or inhalers only if you are told to. Your doctor may want to see your lung function without the effect of a reliever inhaler, or while you continue your usual treatment. Ask your doctor or our staff when you book, and always bring your inhalers with you.

What happens during a PFT at KDRC?

During a PFT you sit upright, wear a soft nose clip and breathe through a mouthpiece while a trained staff member coaches you through each breath. Cleveland Clinic says spirometry generally takes about 15 to 30 minutes, and you repeat the main manoeuvre at least three times so the results can be confirmed. The NHS says the appointment should take no more than an hour. The steps below describe a typical visit.

The quality of a PFT depends on effort. The staff member will encourage you loudly to "keep blowing" until your lungs feel completely empty. This is normal and helps produce accurate numbers. If a blow is not good enough, you will simply be asked to repeat it after a short rest.

Tips for getting accurate PFT results

Accurate PFT results come from a full breath in, a tight seal on the mouthpiece and a blow that continues until your lungs feel empty. These simple tips help:

• Sit tall: keep your back straight and both feet flat on the floor so your chest can move freely.
• Fill right up: breathe in as deeply as you can before every blow; a half breath gives a falsely low result.
• Seal your lips: close your lips firmly around the mouthpiece so no air escapes at the sides, and keep your tongue out of the way.
• Blast, then keep going: start the blow as hard and fast as possible, then keep pushing until the staff member tells you to stop.
• Speak up: tell staff if you feel dizzy, need a longer rest, or have pain anywhere.

Coughing during a blow, a slow start or stopping early are the usual reasons a blow is repeated. This is routine and does not mean anything is wrong with your lungs.

Is a PFT safe? Who should not have one?

A PFT is safe and painless for most people, but forceful breathing is not suitable for everyone, so you must tell staff about recent illness, surgery or heart problems. Cleveland Clinic notes that you may feel dizzy, lightheaded or tired, may cough, and that spirometry can raise your heart rate; these effects should pass shortly after the test. The NHS says the test may not be safe if you have a chest infection, certain heart problems or uncontrolled high blood pressure, or have recently had a heart attack, stroke or certain types of surgery.

Do not wait for a PFT if you have severe breathlessness, breathlessness at rest, chest pain, blue or grey lips, confusion, or are coughing up blood. Go to a hospital emergency department straight away or call an ambulance, such as the 24/7 KDRC ambulance.

Tell staff before the test if you have recently had eye, chest or abdominal surgery, coughed up blood, had a collapsed lung, or feel unwell on the day. In these cases the test may be postponed until it is safe.

Understanding your PFT results

PFT results are usually described as normal, obstructive, restrictive or mixed, depending on the pattern of your measurements compared with predicted values. Cleveland Clinic lists asthma, bronchiectasis, COPD and cystic fibrosis as examples of obstructive disease, and interstitial lung disease, sarcoidosis, scoliosis and neuromuscular conditions as examples of restrictive disease. The comparison below shows the two main patterns.

If you had a bronchodilator test, the report compares your results before and after the medicine. Cleveland Clinic explains that this comparison helps decide whether that medicine should be part of your treatment. A significant improvement supports asthma, while little change is more typical of fixed narrowing, as in COPD. Only your doctor can put these results together with your history to make a diagnosis.

Report timing depends on the tests performed. Our team will tell you when to collect your report. Please take it to the doctor who requested the test, and keep copies, because comparing results over months and years is one of the most useful things a PFT can do.

PFT for children, older adults and pregnant women

Spirometry needs active cooperation, so it is usually done in older children, teenagers and adults who can follow instructions for a deep breath in and a fast, complete blow out. Younger children may find the manoeuvres difficult; your child's doctor will advise whether the test is suitable. A parent can stay with the child, and practice blows help.

Older adults can usually perform spirometry well with good coaching and rest between blows. Please mention any dentures, hearing difficulty or recent falls so that staff can help. If you are pregnant, tell your doctor and our staff before the test; they will decide whether to go ahead now or later, depending on why the test is needed and how you feel.

PFT vs chest CT: which test do you need?

A PFT measures how well your lungs work, while a chest CT scan shows what your lungs look like. The two answer different questions and are often used together. A PFT can show that airflow is reduced; a CT can show emphysema, scarring, nodules or infection that might explain it. Spirometry uses no radiation, whereas CT uses X-rays. If your doctor needs detailed images of the lungs, KDRC's 192-slice CT scan is in the same building, so both tests can be arranged at one centre without travelling across the city. For breathlessness that may come from the heart or blood vessels, your doctor may also consider other tests, such as Doppler ultrasound for leg veins when a clot is suspected.

How much does a PFT cost in Pokhara?

The cost of a PFT in Pokhara depends on which tests are included, so KDRC quotes each request individually. Spirometry alone is a shorter test than spirometry with a bronchodilator comparison or additional measurements. Prices are revised from time to time. For the current PFT price, call 061-553538 or 9856077433 (also on Viber) and tell us what your doctor has written on the request form.

Why choose KDRC for a PFT in Pokhara?

KDRC offers lung function testing alongside a full imaging department, so breathing tests and lung imaging can be arranged in one place in central Pokhara.

• Coached testing: trained staff demonstrate each manoeuvre and repeat blows until results are consistent.
• Clean, single-use parts: a fresh mouthpiece for every patient.
• Imaging on site: a 192-slice Siemens CT for chest imaging, plus open-type MRI, HD ultrasound and BMD.
• Related tests: EEG and other diagnostic services under the same roof.
• Support when needed: a 24/7 ambulance service.

Getting to KDRC and booking your PFT

KDRC is on Shantipath at Amarsingh Chowk, Pokhara-10, Kaski. Bring your doctor's request form, ID, your inhalers, a list of your medicines and any earlier PFT reports. Plan to arrive a little early so you can sit and rest before the test; breathing tests are more accurate when you are not out of breath from climbing stairs or rushing.

To book, call 061-553538 or 9856077433, email kaligandaki.dc@gmail.com, or use the appointment form. You can also see all KDRC services or meet our doctors.