Pulmonary Function and Exercise Testing Lab | Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine | Department of Internal Medicine | UC Davis Health

Under the direction of medical director Nicolas Stollenwerk M.D., the pulmonary function and exercise testing lab at UC Davis Medical Center offers state of the art lung function and exercise testing.

Our team of Licensed Respiratory Care Practitioners are highly trained specialists in exercise and lung testing protocols.

Pulmonary Function Tests

• Spirometry – Measures the volume and speed of air blown quickly from the lungs.
• Body plethysmography/Nitrogen Wash Out – Measures how much air is in the lungs.
• DLCO – Measures how well the lung exchanges gases at the alveoli (air sacs).
• Maximum inspiratory/expiratory pressures – measures respiratory muscle strength.
• Bronchodilator challenge – Uses spirometry to assess response of airways to bronchodilation.
• Bronchial Provocation testing – Spirometry is used before and after inhalation of Methacholine spray to assess the sensitivity of the airways.
• High Altitude Simulation Testing – Used for some people with lung disease who are planning to travel in an airplane or who wish to spend time at high altitudes to determine if extra oxygen is needed.
• Shunt Study – This test estimates the amount of blood flow which does not participate in gas exchange within the lungs; requires arterial blood gas draw.
• Metabolic Measurements, Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) – This test is used to estimate the amount of calories of being used per day after fasting.
• Arterial Blood Gas – A small sample of arterial blood is drawn from an artery to measure oxygen, carbon dioxide and pH of arterial blood.

Pulmonary Exercise Tests

• Six-Minute Walk Test – Walking test used to assess physical fitness and or the need for oxygen during walking. This test is also used to re-qualify patients for home oxygen use as required by home oxygen providers.
• Maximal Oxygen Uptake (VO₂ Max) – This exercise test uses a bicycle ergometer at increasing workloads to determine a patient’s maximal exercise capacity while measuring exhaled breath and heart rate response.
• Exercise Induced Bronchospasm (EIB) Protocol – This exercise test uses a bicycle ergometer at varying resistence; followed by serial spirometry to assess airways for exercise induced bronchospasm.

Our pulmonary function and exercise lab acts as the testing lab for many UCDHS sponsored clinical research studies for new medications and treatments for lung disease and other chronic disorders. Our team of pulmonary technicians is involved in over 16 clinical trials. Discover Current Clinical Trials

A doctor’s referral and insurance authorization is required to schedule an appointment for pulmonary testing. Please call 916-734-2657 for more information.