# DX help with abbr



## pharmon (Feb 3, 2009)

what would LOW - DLCO mean?  patient is having nuclear med procedure of the abd.   I am assuming liver, but I can not assume.  Thanks ya'll.


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## Anna Weaver (Feb 3, 2009)

*low dlco*

This is what I have found:
DLCO stands for the diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide, the test used to determine this parameter. DLCO is the extent to which oxygen passes from the air sacs of the lungs into the blood. It was introduced in 1909

I understand there are nuclear med stress tests done for this. Could this be what you are looking at?


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## pamtienter (Feb 3, 2009)

DLCO stands for diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide. This patient's must be low. I think there are different things that can cause it but I don't know much more that that. Sorry.


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## fradknot (Feb 3, 2009)

DLCO is a measure of how well your lungs can exchange gases between  the air to your blood. Low DLCO is also a major predictor of desaturation during exercise. Low DLCO is the most frequently seen lung function disorder in chronic liver disease


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## LOVE2CODE (Feb 3, 2009)

pharmon said:


> what would LOW - DLCO mean?  patient is having nuclear med procedure of the abd.   I am assuming liver, but I can not assume.  Thanks ya'll.






Here is a resource for abbreviations....

www.Medilexicon.com

Hope this helps...

Oh I also forgot to include that this website is good for definitions, ICD-9 codes, Drugs, etc....


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