TY - JOUR T1 - Interpreting pulmonary function tests: Recognize the pattern, and the diagnosis will follow JF - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine JO - Cleve Clin J Med SP - 866 LP - 881 VL - 70 IS - 10 AU - Feyrouz Al-Ashkar AU - Reena Mehra AU - Peter J. Mazzone Y1 - 2003/10/01 UR - http://www.ccjm.org/content/70/10/866.abstract N2 - When interpreting pulmonary function tests, one should first try to determine the pattern of abnormality: is it obstructive, restrictive, or normal? Pulmonary function tests cannot by themselves distinguish among the potential causes of abnormalities, and must be interpreted in light of the patient’s history, physical examination, and ancillary studies. Once a pattern is recognized, the diagnosis will often follow. ER -