Spirometry is a test that can help diagnose various lung conditions, most commonly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Spirometry is also used to monitor the severity of some other lung conditions, and their response to treatment.

How is it done? You need to breathe into the spirometer machine. First you breathe in fully and then seal your lips around the mouthpiece of the spirometer. You then blow out as fast and as far as you can until your lungs are completely empty. A clip may be put on to your nose to make sure that no air escapes from your nose. The measurements may be repeated two or three times to check that the readings are much the same each time you blow into the machine.

Spirometry is a very low-risk test. You should not use a bronchodilator inhaler for a set time before the test (several hours or more, depending on the inhaler) and carefully follow the instructions from doctors or nurses.

Bronchoscopy is a technique of visualizing the inside of the airways for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. An instrument (bronchoscope) is inserted into the airways, usually through the nose or mouth, or occasionally through a tracheostomy. This allows the practitioner to examine the patient's airways for abnormalities such as foreign bodies, bleeding, cancer, or infection. Specimens may be taken from inside the lungs during bronchoscopy for further testing.

This is usually done as an outpatient or day case. The doctor will numb the inside of your nose and the back of your throat by spraying on some local anaesthetic. You will normally be given a sedative to help you to relax. This is usually given by an injection into a vein in the back of your hand. The sedative can make you drowsy, but it is not a general anaesthetic and does not make you go to sleep. However, you are unlikely to remember anything about the bronchoscopy if you have a sedative.

The bronchoscopy itself usually takes about 20-30 minutes

If you had a biopsy taken, you may cough up a little blood a few times in the following day or so. Rarely, a bronchoscopy can cause damage to the lung. This is more likely to occur if a specialised biopsy of lung tissue is taken. Serious complications from a bronchoscopy are rare.

A lung biopsy may be recommended if you have a lung nodule or mass, or if your doctor is concerned that you may have an infection or another lung condition.

A lung biopsy is a procedure to get a sample of suspicious lung tissue. By looking at a sample of tissue under the microscope, doctors can better determine what exactly is causing the abnormality.

In a needle lung biopsy, doctors place a long needle through your back and into your lung to get a sample of tissue. This is done with the use of a CT scanner or ultrasound to help guide the needle to the appropriate location.

A transbronchial biopsy is done during a bronchoscopy – a procedure in which a scope is directed down from your nose and into the upper airways of your lungs. With the help of fluoroscopy, physicians can then direct a needle into a suspicious area and obtain a sample. This procedure is most effective when an abnormality or tumor is located in or near the large airways of the lungs.

A pleural tap is a procedure involves the removal of fluid from the area between the chest cavity and the tissue lining of the lungs. This area is known as pleura.

An experienced professional usually perform the tap to determine the cause of the fluid build-up. Sometimes, it is also done to reduce the symptoms caused by the accumulation of fluid.

It first involves an X-ray or ultrasound to identify the exact site of fluid accumulation. A local anaesthetic is given to the patient. He is asked to sit upright bending slightly forward. A hollow pleural tap needle or cannula is slipped between the ribs through the patient's back and the fluid so collected is sent for analysis.

Sometimes, a chest drain is inserted to relieve breathless, pain or/ and fever, when air, fluid or pus has collected in the pleural space.

A chest drain is a narrow tube that is inserted and sits in the pleural space. The external end of the chest drain tube is attached to a bottle containing water, which acts as a seal to prevent air from leaking back into the pleural space.

A pleural biopsy is a procedure in which a sample of the pleura (the membrane that surrounds the lungs) is removed with a special biopsy needle to determine if infection, cancer, or another condition is present.

As with any procedure, complications may occur. Possible complications of a pleural biopsy may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Pneumothorax- Collapse of the lung, causing air to become trapped in the pleural space.

• Bleeding in the lung

• Infection

Pleural biopsy is contraindicated in certain bleeding conditions.

There may be other risks depending on your specific medical condition. Be sure to discuss any concerns with your doctor prior to the procedure

Polysomnography, also called a sleep study, is a test used to diagnose sleep disorders. Polysomnography records your brain waves, the oxygen level in your blood, heart rate and breathing, as well as eye and leg movements during the study.

Polysomnography usually is done at a sleep disorders unit within a hospital or sometimes at home.

Polysomnography monitors your sleep stages and cycles to identify if or when your sleep patterns are disrupted.

Polysomnography is a non-invasive, painless test. Complications are rare. The most common side effect is skin irritation caused by the adhesive used to attach test sensors to your skin.