DLCO

Diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (often abbreviated as DLCO) is a measure that determines how much oxygen travels from the alveoli of the lungs to the bloodstream. It is an index of the surface area available for gas exchange

Measuring diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) facilitates the diagnosis, classification and monitoring of various lung diseases, and may also be used for safety signal detection in clinical drug development. However, other factors such as exercise, supine position, and diurnal variations may affect the gas transfer and impact the DLCO measurements.