What should you know about Sibelmed spirometer?

A Sibelmed spirometer measures airflow and exhaled air volume during a breathing test called spirometry. Sibelmed is the manufacturer name; the device itself is a spirometer. It is connected to a mouthpiece, and the results are recorded by software or a display for a clinician to review.

The test looks at the amount of air you can move and the speed of that movement. You may be asked to breathe normally, take a deep breath, and then blow out as hard and as long as you can. A clinician may repeat the manoeuvre because a steady, well-sealed effort gives a more useful result. The pattern can help assess breathing problems such as airflow limitation, but the numbers are interpreted alongside your symptoms, examination, medical history, and other tests. A reading from the device does not by itself establish a diagnosis.

Wear clothing that allows your chest and abdomen to expand. Follow the clinic's instructions about meals, smoking, exercise, and inhalers before the appointment; do not stop a prescribed medicine unless the clinician tells you to. During the test, sit upright, place your lips firmly around the mouthpiece, and follow the technician's instructions for each breath. Tell the technician if you feel dizzy, breathless, or unable to continue. Resting between attempts may be appropriate.

Spirometry is usually arranged to investigate or monitor breathing symptoms, but urgent symptoms need attention regardless of a planned test. Seek emergency help for severe or rapidly worsening breathlessness, blue or grey lips, fainting, new confusion, or inability to speak in full sentences. Contact a clinician promptly for breathlessness that is worsening, chest pain, coughing blood, or a high fever with breathing difficulty. If a test leaves you unusually unwell, tell the testing team or seek medical advice.

Ask what the test is intended to assess, whether you should change the timing of any inhaler, and how your results compare with the expected pattern for you. You can also ask whether repeat testing, bronchodilator testing, or another breathing assessment is needed, and when you should receive an explanation of the findings.