CPFT Practice Exam 2025 – Complete Test Prep Guide

Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are critical for assessing respiratory function and diagnosing various pulmonary diseases. The common symptoms associated with pulmonary diseases include dyspnea (shortness of breath), wheezing, coughing, and reduced exercise tolerance.

Dyspnea is a hallmark symptom of many pulmonary conditions, indicating difficulty in breathing that can arise from various underlying issues like obstructive or restrictive lung diseases. Wheezing often accompanies conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), serving as a sign of narrowing airways. Coughing can be a reflex to clear airway obstructions or irritants and is frequently observed in lung infections, chronic bronchitis, and asthma. Furthermore, reduced exercise tolerance is often seen in patients with pulmonary diseases as their ability to sustain physical activity diminishes due to insufficient oxygen delivery or compromised lung function.

The other symptoms listed in the other choices, such as fever, nausea, headache, chest pain, and dizziness, may accompany pulmonary diseases but are not the primary symptoms that PFTs would help to evaluate. Additionally, shortness of breath occurring exclusively during exercise is too narrow a symptom to encompass the variety of ways respiratory issues manifest, as many patients experience dyspnea at rest or with minimal exert