NIOSH SSS study guide
NIOSH SSS · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
NIOSH-approved spirometry training prepares healthcare professionals to perform and interpret spirometry in occupational health screening. It is intended for nurses, respiratory therapists, technicians, and physicians who conduct lung function testing in workplaces, clinics, or mobile screening programs. The NIOSH SSS study guide has 8 sections and about 2,255 words.
01Indications for Spirometry and Contraindications to Testing
This domain tests whether you can justify a spirometry test, recognize when it must be deferred, and document the decision. NIOSH-aligned practice treats spirometry as a physiological stress test: forced exhalation raises intrathoracic, intra-abdominal, intraocular, and intracranial pressure.
290 words, about 1 min02Spirometer Performance, Calibration Verification, and Quality Control
This domain tests the daily and periodic checks that keep volume and flow measurements trustworthy. A spirometer that is not verified can produce precise-looking but invalid numbers.
286 words, about 1 min03Participant Preparation, Screening, and Test Safety
This domain tests the pre-test checklist that protects the participant and prevents avoidable artifacts. Obtain informed consent and explain the maneuver with a demonstration.
284 words, about 1 min04Coaching and Maneuver Technique for Acceptable Spirometry
This domain tests whether you can elicit a maximal, artifact-free forced expiratory maneuver and coach it consistently. Start from a full inspiration to total lung capacity; demonstrate and ask for a full breath in, then a blast out.
286 words, about 1 min05Acceptability and Reproducibility Criteria for Spirometry Curves
This domain tests the rules for judging whether a spirometry session is usable and how to grade it. An acceptable maneuver is free of artifacts: no cough in the first second, no glottic closure, no leak, no obstructed mouthpiece, good start (back-extrapolated volume under 5% FVC or 0.150 L), and satisfactory duration.
308 words, about 2 min06Reference Values, Interpretation, and Pattern Recognition
This domain tests selecting appropriate predicted equations, using the lower limit of normal (LLN), and recognizing obstructive, restrictive, and mixed patterns. Use equations matched to age, sex, ethnicity, and height.
286 words, about 1 min07Recordkeeping, Reporting, and Communication of Results
This domain tests what must be recorded, how long it is kept, and how results are communicated without overstepping. Record demographics, height, weight, ethnicity, test date, medications, and bronchodilator timing.
258 words, about 1 min08Infection Control and Equipment Hygiene
This domain tests practices that prevent transmission between participants and keep equipment functioning. Perform hand hygiene before and after every participant; wear gloves when handling contaminated items.
257 words, about 1 min