Lab 9 - Spirometry

Question 1

PFT stands for:

Answer 1

Pulmonary Function Testing

Question 2

Pulmonary Function Tests are typically used for: (5)

Answer 2

• Screening for the presence of obstructive and restrictive diseases e.g. Asthma
• Evaluating the patient prior to surgery
• Evaluating the patient’s condition for weaning from a ventilator.
• Documenting the progression of pulmonary disease - restrictive or obstructive
• Documenting the effectiveness of therapeutic intervention – including medication, training programs.

Question 3

What factor of a person has a big effect on PFT values?

Answer 3

• body size

- A smaller sized individual will have smaller PFT results than an individual of the same age who is much larger

Question 4

4 values are commonly assessed during PFT and are critically important in the diagnosis of obstructive and restrictive diseases:

Answer 4

• FVC
• FEV1
• FEV1 / FVC: FEV1 Percent (FEV1%)
• MVV: Maximal Voluntary Ventilation

Question 5

What is FVC?

Answer 5

• Forced Vital Capacity
• after the subject has inspired maximally, this is the volume of air which can be forcibly and maximally exhaled from the lungs

Question 6

What is FEV1?

Answer 6

• Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second

- volume of air which can be forcibly exhaled from the lungs in one second

Question 7

What is FEV1 / FVC: FEV1 Percent (FEV1%)?

Answer 7

• the ratio of FEV1 to FVC

- indicates what percentage of the total FVC was expelled from the lungs during the first second of forced exhalation.

Question 8

What is MVV: Maximal Voluntary Ventilation?

Answer 8

• measure of the max amount of air that can be inhaled and exhaled within one minute (for testing we do 15 seconds then x4)
• expressed in liters/minute.

Question 9

Respiratory disease can be classified as: (2)

Answer 9

• obstructive e.g. asthma, emphysema; airflow limitation

- restrictive e.g. pulmonary fibrosis; reduced lung volumes and an increase in overall stiffness of the lungs