Jamestown Regional Medical Center (JRMC) is now able to perform fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) tests. The FeNO device’s addition allows the JRMC respiratory care team to aid in diagnosis of asthma, quickly and without the need for travel.
The FeNO device measures the nitric oxide (NO) concentration in a person’s exhaled breath. This measurement indicates the presence of allergic airway inflammation, which gives a more comprehensive assessment of asthma than other conventional methods for diagnosis. Patients simply breathe into the small FeNO device for about 10 seconds at a steady pace. The test takes only a few minutes and is often paired with a pulmonary function test, also offered at JRMC.
After receiving questions and orders for FeNO testing, JRMC Respiratory Care Manager Nicole Brandvold’s interest spiked. Recognizing that no one in the region was meeting this need, she decided to act.
“Patients shouldn’t have to travel 90 miles for a test that takes less than five minutes to complete,” said Brandvold. “By providing advanced local care, JRMC continues to demonstrate that we are prioritizing both patients’ health and time.”
FeNO testing joins numerous other services offered by the JRMC respiratory care program, including arterial blood gas sampling and analysis; BiPAP; CPAP; chest physiotherapy; handheld nebulizer treatments and oxygen therapy.
All FeNO tests require a referral for scheduling. Patients as young as four years old can be scheduled. To learn more about FeNO testing at JRMC, call (701) 952-4858.