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Diagnosis

To diagnose emphysema, the physician takes a complete patient and family medical history and performs a physical examination and diagnostic tests. The medical history includes important information about previous and current cigarette smoking and a history of symptoms. In patients who have a family history of emphysema a blood test may be performed to detect alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

During physical examination, the physician listens to the lungs with a stethoscope and lo...Read the full article