Spirometry

Question 1

What is vital capacity?

Answer 1

largest volume of air that can be moved in and out of the lungs in any one breath

Question 2

What is tidal volume?

Answer 2

volume of air moved in and out during breathing when you are resting

Question 3

What is the inspiratory reserve volume?

Answer 3

how much more air can be breathed in over and above the normal tidal volume when you take in a deep/big breath

Question 4

What is the expiratory reserve volume?

Answer 4

how much air can be breathed out over and above the normal tidal volume

Question 5

What is the total lung volume/ capacity?

Answer 5

the vital capacity plus the residual air in the lungs

Question 6

What is the residual volume?

Answer 6

volume of air that always remains in the lungs

Question 7

What is a nose clip used for?

Answer 7

to stop air being released from the nose

Question 8

What chemical is used to absorb carbon dioxide?

Answer 8

soda lime

Question 9

Does the trace on the graph gradually fall, rise or does it stay at the same level?

Answer 9

gradually falls

Question 10

What is the counterpoise for?

Answer 10

to remove resistance to breathing

Question 11

When a person breathes in, does the chamber move up or down?

Answer 11

down

Question 12

When a person breathes out, does the chamber move up or down?

Answer 12

up

Question 13

What is breathing rate?

Answer 13

the number of breaths per minute

Question 14

What is oxygen uptake?

Answer 14

rate at which a person uses up oxygen

Question 15

What are some precautions that need to be taken before doing this process?

Answer 15

-functioning soda lime
-no air leaks (invalid results)
-sterile mouthpiece
-water chamber must not be overfilled (otherwise it can enter the air tubes)

Question 16

How do you calculate the breathing rate from the graph?

Answer 16

no. of peaks in a minute

Question 17

How do you calculate the oxygen uptake from the graph?

Answer 17

measure the average slope of the trace