ERSA is a lung function laboratory and home sleep study service delivering professional respiratory function and sleep study testing to patients with respiratory symptoms, chronic lung conditions, sleep apnoea and for those at risk of developing disease
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have continued to provide high quality lung function testing. Our advanced equipment and superior bacterial and viral filters have meant that we have had little disruption to service delivery.
Our vision is to provide high quality lung function testing throughout Australia
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We have several convenient locations and more coming soon
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Please call 1800 4 SLEEP (75337)
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Please note that our Ipswich branch has moved to a better facility, with better parking, easier access for those who are breathless and more onsite facilities such as pharmacy and radiology
We can now be found at
Riverlink Medical & Dental, 2 The Terrace, North Ipswich
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Flow Volume Loops (spirometry) - Pre & Post Bronchodilator
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Full Lung Function (FVL, Lung Volumes, Gas Transfer)
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Bronchial Provocation: Mannitol Challenge
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FeNO - Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide
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Allergen Skin Prick Test
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Postural Spirometry (Seated & Supine)
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Respiratory Muscle Strength (MIPS/MEPS & Postural Spirometry
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Six Minute Walk Test
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Home Sleep Studies
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CPAP Trials
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Holter Monitoring
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What to bring to your appointment
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Your GP or specialist referral
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A current medication list and any allergies that you may have
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Your Medicare Card
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Your Veterans Affairs Card if you have one
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Lung function preparation instructions
All patients are asked to refrain from the following before their test:
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Smoking (1 hour)
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Performing vigorous exercise (1 hour)
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Consuming alcohol or caffeinated drinks (4 hours)
Ersa Essential Respiratory Services Lung Function Test #air #tests #breathing
Lung volume measurements : These tests determine how much total air the lungs can hold at full lung capacity, after exhaling all the air out of the lungs. [1] These tests determine how much total air the lungs can hold at full lung capacity, after exhaling all the air out of the lungs. [1] Pulmonary function tests are simply a series of breathing tests to determine lung size, flow rate of air in and out, and level of air pressure while breathing. [4] It is more precise than spirometry and measures the volume of air in the lungs, including the air that remains at the end of a normal breath. [2] They are performed by a pulmonary function technician, who will require you to use maximal effort to blow out and breathe in air. [2] #measuring #box #pressure Static lung volumes can be obtained either by measuring the changes in pressure in a constant volume box or volume in a constant pressure box4. [3] Therefore the increase in their chest volume slightly reduces the box volume ( the non - person volume of the box ) and thus slightly increases the pressure in the box. [3] This is not always achievable, and measurement at lower lung volumes has an alinear effect on the result; the surface area for absorption is reduced but the pulmonary capillary volume per unit lung volume is increased. [0]Measurements are based on Boyle's law which states that at constant temperature the volume of a given mass of gas varies inversely with pressure. [3]It is calculated by multiplying the transfer coefficient ( Kco ) by the alveolar volume measured at the same time; the option of using a separately measured TLC has been withdrawn. [0] #limb #expiratory #COPD In restrictive defects the expiratory limb has a convex or linear appearance because flow rates are preserved but the problem relates to a parenchymal disorder e.g. lung fibrosis which reduces lung volumes. [3] Typically intra - thoracic large airway obstruction ( e.g. from a lower tracheal or bronchial tumour ) results in flattening of the expiratory limb alone with preservation of the inspiratory limb ( ). [3] Similarly variation can be seen in diseases that effect the lungs in a heterogeneous manner e.g. COPD or alpha 1 antitrypsin emphysema. [3] In fixed extra - thoracic large airway obstruction ( e.g. vocal cord paralysis or tracheal stenosis ) there is symmetrical flattening of both the inspiratory and expiratory limb as airflow is limited in both directions and is not affected significantly by intrathoracic pressure changes ( ) 9. [3]
Sources: [0]: https://thorax.bmj.com/content/61/9/744 [1]: https://www.henryford.com/services/pulmonary/diagnosis/pulmonary-function-test [2]: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-procedures-and-tests/lung-function-tests [3]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3229853/ [4]: https://www.montefiore.org/pulmonary-function-lab
Ersa Essential Respiratory Services Asthma Copd Cwp Silica
Coal mine dust causes a wide range of lung diseases collectively known as obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary edema. While intermediate diseases are traditionally associated with coal mining, coal miners are also at risk for dust - related diffuse fibrosis, chronic respiratory diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, and other lung diseases. These include a variety of dust-related diffuse fibroids that can be mistaken for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and a variety of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OPD). [Sources: 2]
To emphasise the spectrum, it was recently referred to as pneumoconiosis, a disease that is most familiar to many of us, and is the most common form of lung disease among coal miners. However, in the context of coal mining, it is defined as a wide range of diseases arising from employment in coal mines, including pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary edema, emphysema, lung cancer and pulmonary bronchitis. [Sources: 2] The most common form of lung disease in coal miners, diffuse pleural fibrosis, is caused by pulmonary edema and bronchitis, while some cancers are caused by exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide in the air, such as lung cancer and pulmonary emphysema. [Sources: 1, 5] The most common form of lung disease in miners, diffuse pleural fibrosis, can occur after exposure to high concentrations of carbon monoxide in the air, as is the case with coal mining, mining operations and accidents involving mining equipment. The most common forms of pulmonary edema and bronchitis, as well as lung cancer and pulmonary emphysema, can occur in miners with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or pulmonary embolism (CWP). [Sources: 2, 4]
These diseases cannot be cured by medical treatment, but it is important to prevent them by controlling particulate matter pollution. It is important to ask about jobs associated with silicon pollution and quartz dust generated by activities such as cutting and drilling rocks. Although there are many other causes of lung disease in miners with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary embolism (CWP), it may be important for us to exclude all other causes of lung disease in patients. [Sources: 2, 4]
Diesel exhaust fumes can cause asthma-typical symptoms, and diesel exhaust fumes can contribute to the development of chronic bronchitis and constipation of the air, which leads to pulmonary embolism and other lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Many miners lose their jobs when their employers are informed of a lung disease. Diesel exhaust gases emitting fine dust from mining could contribute to this. [Sources: 0, 3, 4]
This can lead to the loss of alveolar macrophages, which can remove material from the alvesolar bronchioles. These diseases include diffuse pleural fibrosis, pulmonary embolism and bronchitis, as well as pulmonary edema and pulmonary fibroblasts. [Sources: 0, 5] As CWP progresses, shortness of breath develops and affected patients may develop corneal pulmonary respiratory arrest and death [4, 5]. The main public health concern is advanced CWP / PMF, which is often a serious lung disease and leads to respiratory disease and / or death. [Sources: 3]
Miners are at high risk of respiratory diseases caused by mining dust and the associated morbidity and mortality. Miners exposed to the exhaust of diesel engines are at higher risk of dying from lung cancer and are more likely to develop a lung disease called pneumoconiosis [5, 6]. While IPF is common in the general population, interstitial lung diseases associated with irregular opacity, which indicates DDF, are more common in long-time coal miners [7, 8]. With the increasing use of coal mines and the projected growth of the coal industry, protecting miners from respiratory diseases will remain an important and ongoing priority. [Sources: 2, 4, 5]
Legal pneumoconiosis thus covers, within a legal compensation framework, diseases other than interstitial disease, including pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary embolism and pulmonary edema [8, 9]. Work - asthma asthma asthma asthma asthma caused by work and pre-existing asthma and aggravated by work. This can be either irritating asthma - induced asthma caused by exposure to irritants at work, or workplace asthma caused by immunological sensitization to active substances at work [10]. [Sources: 2, 5]
It is also known that exposure to silica dust increases the risk of primary lung cancer [10]. PMF lesions are often considered positive, which can lead to diagnostic confusion [11]. If a patient has or has typical CWP, a biopsy is required, especially if he or she has a history of pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary embolism or pulmonary edema [12, 13]. [Sources: 2, 3]Some studies have found that obstructive patterns of lung function tests are associated with the duration of occupational exposure [13, 14, 15, 16]. It has been shown that lung function tests play an important role in the diagnosis of CMDLD-related respiratory diseases [17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22]. [Sources: 0, 2] In eight cases, the pathology of the lung was described by examining the characteristics of chronic interstitial pneumonia and honeycomb formation. The upper lung zones were not predominantly in the upper lung zone, but the miners showed signs of pulmonary edema, bronchitis and pulmonary embolism [18, 19, 20, 21, 22]. [Sources: 2] Sources: [0]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4357143/ [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupational_lung_disease [2]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4556416/ [3]: https://www.thoracic.org/professionals/clinical-resources/clinical-cases/progressive-dyspnea-in-an-appalachian-coal-miner.php [4]: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/topics/RespiratoryDiseases.html [5]: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/resp/risks.html
CONTACT US
Thank you for your interest in our laboratory
E: admin@ersa.au | M: 1800 4 SLEEP (75337)​