Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center’s Pulmonary Services Program consists of a specialized team of physicians and health care professionals from various departments who work together to deliver care to patients. The program is accredited by the Joint Commission on Healthcare Accreditations and the College of American Pathologists and offers outpatient and inpatient assessments, education and treatment programs to patients with conditions of the lung such as pulmonary disease.

Pulmonary Function Testing

 
Pulmonary function testing includes screening assessments often performed in physician’s offices or at the bedside and more complex testing that is usually performed in the hospital.

“Screeners” provide a quick assessment of the patient’s lung functions and test the effectiveness of bronchodilators used in breathing treatments, test a patient’s lungs prior to surgery, or identify patients who may have asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD).

Complex testing including body plethysmography and diffusion capacity looks for abnormalities of airflow and allows for further identification and calculation of lung disease. These results are obtained by receiving more information from the evaluation of lung volumes and gas exchange that occurs within the lungs during breathing efforts.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

 
The Physical Assessment and Rehabilitation Center (P.A.R.C.) offers a pulmonary rehabilitation program for people who have a lung disease such as COPD, emphysema, asthma and chronic bronchitis. These are amongst some of the diagnoses covered by Medicare and most insurance. Our 10-12 week progressive exercise program is designed to:

• Reduce hospitalizations.
• Improve quality of life.
• Reduce respiratory symptoms (shortness of breath).
• Increase exercise tolerance and performance.
• Teach helpful breathing techniques.
• Increased knowledge about pulmonary disease and its management.
• Provide dietary counseling.
• Return to work for some patients.

Because each patient’s physical condition differs, our trained licensed staff works with each individual patient to develop a  program specific to his or her rehabilitation needs.

Working with the patient and their physician, a certified repertory therapist designs the patient’s progressive exercise program, monitors progress, provides education, and keeps the patient and their physician informed of the progress. For More Information concerning pulmonary rehabilitation, please call the P.A.R.C. at 573.686.5362.