DIAGNOSTIC TESTS

• Acid-base balance:

  • Arterial blood gases (ABGs)
  • Electrolytes (lytes)
• Microbial infection:

  • Bronchoalveolar lavage
  • Gram stain
• Cold agglutinins - atypical pneumonia
• CBC - pneumonia
• Pleural fluid analysis - infection, malignancy, or organ failure
• Skin tests: purified protein derivative (PPD) - tuberculosis
• Sweat chloride test - cystic fibrosis
• Thoracentesis - pleural fluid analysis
• Throat and sputum cultures - bacterial infection/tuberculosis