New equipment helps patients breathe easier

Climbing in and out of a telephone booth sized piece of equipment, Rita Desbiens breathes a sigh of relief. For the Churdan resident, her annual pulmonary function test has gotten much easier.
Rita, who was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 2003, submits to testing each year to check the progression of the disease and effectiveness of her medications. “COPD causes me to get out of breath more easily. It affects my muscle weakness and stamina,” says Rita.
The equipment, a pulmonary function testing (PFT) machine, tests how well her lungs work. The machine measures lung size and air flow. Rita describes the experience, “When I’m in the machine I take a deep breath and then force all the air out and breathe in again. Then I’ll take a dose of my inhaler and do the test again to see how well the medicine works.” Results from the test are then sent to a pulmonary specialist who follows up with Rita.
S t e w a r t Me m o r i a l Community Hospital recently purchased a new PFT machine, thanks to a generous gift from the estate of Delmar Phillips of Lake View. The gift was designated specifically for the purchase of diagnostic equipment.
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