Pulmonary Function Tests

Question 1

FVC

Answer 1

Forced vital capacity-total amount of air exhaled

Question 2

FEV1

Answer 2

Forced expiratory volume in the 1st second

Question 3

PEFR

Answer 3

Peak expiratory flow rate

Initial slope on vitalograph

Question 4

What happens to FEV1 and FVC and FEV1/FVC in an obstructive disease?

Answer 4

FEV1 decreases
FVC stays the same
FEV1/FVC ratio decreases
In some instances FVC does decrease too but at a much less significance than FVC so the ratio still decreases

Question 5

What happens to FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC in a restrictive disease?

Answer 5

FEV1 decreases
FVC decreases
So FEV1/FVC ratio stays the same

Question 6

What is inspiratory reserve volume?

Answer 6

The extra volume of air that can be inspired with maximal effort after reaching the end of a normal, quiet inspiration

Question 7

What is the expiratory reserve volume?

Answer 7

Amount of extra air above normal volume that is exhaled during a forceful breath out

Question 8

What is residual volume?

Answer 8

Volume of air remaining in the lungs after maximum forceful expiration, volume of air that cannot be expelled

Question 9

What is functional residual capacity?

Answer 9

Volume remaining in the lungs after normal, passive exhalation

Question 10

What is vital capacity?

Answer 10

The greatest volume of air that can be expelled from the lungs after taking the deepest possible breath

Question 11

What is inspiratory capacity?

Answer 11

Maximum volume of air that can be inspired after reaching the end of a normal, quiet expiration

Question 12

What is total lung capacity?

Answer 12

Volume of air in the lungs upon the maximum effort of inspiration

Question 13

What is tidal volume?

Answer 13

Amount of air that moves in or out of the lungs with each respiratory cycle

Question 14

What is the difference between a wheeze and a stridor?

Answer 14

Wheeze- from lower airways obstruction, normally heard on expiration
Stridor- from upper airway obstruction, normally heard on inspiration

Question 15

What type of disease is asthma?

Answer 15

Obstructive disease

Question 16

What is hyperinflation of lungs?

Answer 16

Larger than normal lungs as a result of trapped air. Air gets trapped and take up space makes it harder to get fresh air into the body. Lungs try to fix this by taking more and more air and this overinflates and makes lung tissue less stretchy over time and lung tissue may start to die

Question 17

What is fibrosis?

Answer 17

Thickening and scarring of the tissue

Question 18

What is TLCO and DLCO?

Answer 18

TLCO also known as DLCO is measurement of conductance or ease of transfer for CO molecules from alveolar gas to the hemoglobin of red blood cells in pulmonary circulation