The value of a breath

The Pulmonary Function Laboratory at the Dr. Jorge Lizarraga Children's Hospital in Venezuela arises from the need to evaluate the respiratory function of patients, which can help in the diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases such as asthma, obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis and sleep apnea, among others.

At the beginning of the project, we only had a working  area in the Hospital designated for this laboratory, without equipment or furniture, with only the willingness of specialized doctors and nurses. Today, 6 months after starting the fundraising campaign, we can count on the following achievements:

1. The necessary basic furniture, a bed for patient evaluation, 2 overhead shelves for placing consumables, 2 tables with their chairs, and a computer.

2. A conventional Medgraphs spirometer with a minimum of replacement expiratory filtered mouthpieces.

3. A high precision Spiroscout spirometer that does not require calibration with a minimum of consumables such as spirette mouthpieces.

4. A Nonin Pulse Oximeter for measurement of oxygen diffusion.

5. MDI connectors for patients undergoing bronchoscopy (package of 100 units).

6. An oscillometer, measures the mechanical properties of the lungs and airways, by means of small pressure stimuli.

7. An Ultrasound, which helps diagnose the causes of pain, swelling, and infection in the lungs. The Ultrasound is safe, non-invasive, and does not use radiation, it is ideal for pediatric patients. This procedure requires no preparation.

This Pulmonary Function Laboratory, now equipped thanks to the "Giving Tuesday" platform, is so far able to care for an average of 120 children a month with respiratory conditions, which means that during the first year we expect to care for 1,440 cases. This has important benefits for health care, capacity, cost,  patient satisfaction and well-being through :

1.- Improving medical care: By having the necessary equipment to evaluate children, more accurate diagnoses can be made and more effective treatments can be provided. This leads to an improvement in the quality of medical care provided and, therefore, to better health and recovery of the patient.

2.- Increasing care capacity: By having this amount of equipment necessary for a pulmonary function laboratory, wait lists to receive medical care can be reduced, which can be especially important in the case of serious or chronic diseases. .

3.- Reducing the cost of care: By providing more accurate diagnoses, costs related to medical care can be reduced such as the need for repeat tests or treatments that do not work.

4.- Improving patient satisfaction: By receiving higher quality medical care, patients can feel more satisfied with the service provided and have a better experience in the hospital.