The full form of DLco is Diffusing Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide. It’s used on Medical ,Tests in Worldwide

Diffusing Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide (DLco) is the rate of uptake of carbon monoxide per driving pressure of alveolar carbon monoxide.

●DLCO – The diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is also known as the transfer factor for carbon monoxide or TLCO. It is a measure of the conductance of gas transfer from inspired gas to the red blood cells.

●VA – The alveolar volume (VA) can be considered the number of contributing alveolar units and is measured during the single breath DLCO by use of a tracer gas (eg, helium).

●KCO – The carbon monoxide transfer coefficient (KCO is approximately kCO/barometric pressure in mL/minute/ mmHg/L) is often written as DLCO/VA. It is an index of the efficiency of alveolar transfer of carbon monoxide.

A test of the diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO, also known as transfer factor for carbon monoxide or TLCO), is one of the most clinically valuable tests of lung function. The technique was first described 100 years ago [1-3] and applied in clinical settings many decades later [4-6]. The DLCO measures the ability of the lungs to transfer gas from inhaled air to the red blood cells in pulmonary capillaries. The DLCO test is convenient and easy for the patient to perform. The ten seconds of breathholding required for the DLCO maneuver is easier for most patients to perform than the forced exhalation required for spirometry.

Standards for DLCO instruments, performance of the test, and calculation of the results were initially published by the American Thoracic Society in 1987, and updated by the American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society in 2005 and in 2017 [7-9]. The indications for DLCO measurement and the interpretation of the results will be discussed here. The use of other pulmonary function tests in the evaluation of respiratory disease in adults and children is discussed separately. (See “Office spirometry” and “Overview of pulmonary function testing in adults” and “Overview of pulmonary function testing in children”.)