Clinical physiology (Oxford, England)
-
Measurement of the transfer factor for carbon monoxide (TLCO) is a widely used clinical lung function test. Although it is frequently applied in patients with bronchial obstruction, there is little information on the effects of bronchodilatation on the test. We therefore measured TLCO in 40 patients before and after inhalation of terbutaline. ⋯ In healthy subjects, terbutaline may increase pulmonary capillary volume. We conclude that bronchodilatation results in a small increase in TLCO in patients with light to moderate bronchoconstriction as well as in healthy subjects. The effect is small and should in most cases be simple to account for in the interpretation of pulmonary function tests, provided the patient's treatment is known.