Diagnosis of Chronic Bronchitis

Click Here to Start Breathing Easier!

Diagnosis of chronic bronchitis may be made when a patient has been coughing up phlegm for at least three months in two consecutive years.

Diagnostic Testing that doctors perform to diagnose chronic bronchitis may include:

-Pulmonary Function Tests (or PFT, also called lung function tests). PFT measures how well the lungs are able to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. This test is usually performed using devices a person needs to breathe into, examples being the Spirometer and the peak flow monitor (PFM).

-Arterial Blood Gas Sampling. This test is also used to measure the lungs’ ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide, and in addition also measures blood pH (acidity) level.

-Chest X-Ray or CAT Scan. Doctors look at x-rays or CAT scan images to look for visual signs of chronic bronchitis such as lung hyperinflation, blisters / bubbles on the lungs, and/or flattening of the diaphragm, for example.

-Pulse Oximetry (Oxygen Saturation Testing). Via feedback from a painless sensor applied to a finger or toe, an oximeter measures oxygen levels in the blood. If blood oxygen level is too low, oxygen therapy may be prescribed.

-Blood Test to see whether there is a raised white blood cell count and elevated C-reactive protein, which are indications of inflammation.

-Exercise Testing. The patient is instructed to walk on normal floor or a treadmill, while the patient’s ability to function is assessed through monitoring heart rate, difficulty in breathing, etc.

-Electrocardiograph (or ECG, also known as EKG) to trace the heartbeat to look for any signs of heart damage resulting from chronic bronchitis.

Results from such diagnostic testing will not only aid in the diagnosis of chronic bronchitis, but will also be used to determine how far the condition has progressed, which in turn will determine how aggressively it should be treated. Thus test results will be taken into consideration when treatment plan is devised.