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Frequently Asked Questions About IPF

Developed in 2001, The Dorothy P. & Richard P. Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, is designed to provide patient-friendly advice and support to patients with the diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, and other interstitial lung diseases.

One of our goals is to provide you and your family members with a better understanding of your current disease. To do that, we will ask you to bring any past medical records, including x-rays (the actual films) that you may have already had done.

For patients who have not received testing already, UPMC ILD specialists will perform:

• complete pulmonary function tests (breathing studies) with arterial blood gas measurement
• exercise desaturation study (tests how well and how far a person can walk with and without oxygen)
• CT scan of the chest, with special attention to the tissue inside the lungs
• echocardiogram, to look at the overall health of the heart
• blood testing, including antinuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factor, and sedimentation rate
• patients may also be asked if they want to participate in any of the available research protocols

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