Not One More Life

Spirometry and Asthma
Used to monitor and determine reversible airway obstruction. 2007 NHLB guidelines recommend FEV1, FEV6, FVC, FEV!/FVC measurements. Measurements typically taken pre and post short-acting bronchodilator Can be performed on children as young as 5 years of age. Measurements based on age, height, sex.
Forced Vital Capacity (FVC): Volume of air forcibly and maximally expired after a maximal inspiration Determines obstructive/restrictive lung disease. 80% of predicted = normal. Improvement of 10%-15% post-bronchodilator suggests obstructive disorder-no change suggests restrictive process. Carried out over 6 seconds (children, however, can expel their vital capacity in just a few seconds). In obstructive diseases vital capacity is expelled more slowly, therefore FVC will be smaller.. Restrictive disorders also demonstrate a reduced FVC, however, this is due to the amount of air inspired being small to start with because of the restrictive process. More Spirometry		Enlarge

Spirometry and Asthma

Forced Vital Capacity (FVC):

Volume of air forcibly and maximally
expired after a maximal inspiration
Determines obstructive/restrictive lung disease.
80% of predicted = normal.
Improvement of 10%-15% post-bronchodilator suggests obstructive disorder-no change
suggests restrictive process.
Carried out over 6 seconds (children, however, can expel their vital capacity in just a few seconds).
In obstructive diseases vital capacity is expelled more slowly, therefore FVC will be smaller..
Restrictive disorders also demonstrate a reduced FVC, however, this is due to the amount of air inspired being small to start with because of the restrictive process. More Spirometry

Enlarge