Spirometry, lung volume measurement, and diffusion capacity test interpretation tested on respiratory therapist certification exams.
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- What is FVC (forced vital capacity)?
- The total volume of air a person can forcibly exhale after maximal inhalation.
- What is FEV1?
- The volume of air forcibly exhaled in the first second of an FVC maneuver.
- What is a normal FEV1/FVC ratio in a healthy adult?
- About 70 to 80 percent (roughly 0.70 to 0.80).
- How does the FEV1/FVC ratio change in an obstructive lung disease pattern?
- It is reduced below the normal range (below about 70 percent).
- How does spirometry typically appear in a restrictive lung disease pattern?
- FVC is reduced, but the FEV1/FVC ratio is normal or even increased.
- What does PEF (peak expiratory flow) measure?
- The maximum speed of airflow during a forced exhalation.
- What does FEF25-75% measure?
- The average forced expiratory flow over the middle half of the FVC maneuver, a marker of small airway function.
- What reproducibility criterion must the two largest FVC and FEV1 values meet for an acceptable spirometry test?
- They must be within 150 mL of each other.
- What is the minimum number of acceptable exhalation maneuvers required for a valid spirometry test?
- Three (up to a maximum of eight attempts).
- What defines a positive bronchodilator response on spirometry?
- An increase in FEV1 or FVC of at least 12 percent and 200 mL after bronchodilator administration.
- Name three diseases that produce an obstructive spirometry pattern.
- Asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis.
- Name three conditions that produce a restrictive spirometry pattern.
- Pulmonary fibrosis, chest wall deformity, and neuromuscular disease.
- What shape does the expiratory limb of the flow-volume loop take in obstructive lung disease?
- A concave, scooped-out shape.
- In GOLD COPD staging, what FEV1 percent predicted defines severe (GOLD 3) airflow limitation?
- 30 to 49 percent predicted.
- What is total lung capacity (TLC)?
- The total volume of air in the lungs after a maximal inhalation.