• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Johns Hopkins Myositis Center

Show Search
Hide Search
  • About Myositis
    • Dermatomyositis
    • Inclusion Body Myositis
    • Juvenile Myositis
    • Polymyositis
    • Toxic Myopathies
    • Myositis Disease Education Videos
  • Our Center
    • Our Doctors
    • Our Team
    • Directions
    • Physician Referral Information
    • Preparing for an Appointment
    • In The News
  • Our Difference
    • Diagnosis of Myositis
    • Nutrition for Myositis Patients
    • Treatment of Myositis
  • Myositis Research and Clinical Trials
    • Current Research Studies
    • Recent Publications
  • Donate
    • Make a Gift
    • Peter Frampton Myositis Research Fund
Home / What Makes the Myositis Center Unique / Diagnosis of Myositis / Diagnostic Tests for Myositis / Pulmonary Function Tests for Myositis

Pulmonary Function Tests for Myositis

Description

The patient places a clip over the nose and breathes through the mouth into a tube connected to a machine known as a spirometer.

  1. The patient breathes in deeply, and then exhales as quickly and forcefully as possible into the tube.
  2. The exhale must last at least six seconds for the machine to work properly.
  3. Usually the patient repeats this test three times, and the best of the three results is considered to be the measure of the lung function.
  4. The results will help a doctor figure out which type of treatment to pursue.

Preparation

The patient should not eat a heavy meal before the test, nor smoke for four to six hours beforehand. The patient’s doctor will issue specific instructions about whether or not to use specific medications, including bronchodilators or inhalers, before the test. Sometimes, medication may be administered as part of the test.

Risks

The risk is minimal for most people, although the test carries a slight risk of a collapsed lung in some patients with lung disease.

Normal results
Normal results are based on a person’s age, height, and gender. Normal results are expressed as a percentage of the predicted lung capacity. The prediction takes into account the patient’s age, height, and sex.

Abnormal results
Abnormal results mean that the person’s lung capacity is less than 80% of the predicted value. Such findings usually mean that there is some degree of chest or lung disease.

More Diagnostic Tests:

  • Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS)
  • MRI of the Muscles
  • Muscle Biopsy
Receive the Latest News from Johns Hopkins Rheumatology

Receive the Latest News from Johns Hopkins Rheumatology

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from Johns Hopkins Rheumatology.

Interested In

You have Successfully Subscribed!

USE OF THIS SITE

All information contained within the Johns Hopkins Rheumatology website is intended for educational purposes only. Physicians and other health care professionals are encouraged to consult other sources and confirm the information contained within this site. Consumers should never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something they may have read on this website.

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Johns Hopkins Rheumatology

  • Johns Hopkins Rheumatology
  • Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center
  • Johns Hopkins Lupus Center
  • Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Center
  • Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center
  • Johns Hopkins Sjögren’s Syndrome Center
  • Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center

      

Johns Hopkins Medicine

© 2025 Johns Hopkins Myositis Center
Patient Privacy