INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL SCHOOL

BACHELOR’S IN MEDICAL SCIENCE

SUBJECT/CODE: PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF RESPIRATORY
SYSTEM/QPT20302P
Lab 5: LUNG FUNCTION TEST
LECTURER NAME: DR.MOHANAD RAHMAN

NAME: ILHAASHINI KRISHNAN

IC NUMBER: 010301-05-0546
ID NUMBER: 012021090323
INTRODUCTION:
Pulmonary function tests are a group of tests that measure breathing and how well the lungs

are functioning. Asthma, chronic bronchitis, respiratory infections, lung fibrosis,

bronchiectasis, and COPD are among the respiratory illnesses that can be diagnosed with

pulmonary function tests. Pulmonary function testing come in many different forms. The

examinations measure lung size, function, flow rates, and gas exchange. Your healthcare

professional may use this information to diagnose and treat some lung diseases. Before

surgery or other procedures, people with lung or heart diseases, smokers, or other medical

conditions may undergo pulmonary function tests to assess their lung function. The pulmonary

function test is used to assess the impact of medications, monitor illness treatment progress,

and determine whether lung function is impacted by workplace chemical exposure. (Janelle

Martel and James Roland,2021)

Spirometry is one of the pulmonary function tests. Spirometry is very useful for identifying

COPD and asthma. This is because it measures how quickly and how much air you can blast

out of your lungs after taking a deep inhale. (V.C. Moore,2012)

DISCUSSION:
1. Identify the procedure of Lung flow rate (peak flow rates) measurements.
A fast test to assess how much air is leaving the lungs is peak flow measurement. Peak

expiratory flow rate (PEFR) or peak expiratory flow are other names for the measurement

(PEF). Asthmatics are the majority of people who monitor peak flow. Peak flow

measurements can reveal how much and how quickly air can be forced fully out from the

lungs. Once the entire lung has been inhaled, the measurement should begin.

You blow hard through a device's mouthpiece during the test. Most frequently, a peak flow

metre (PFM) is employed. This is a little, plastic handheld device. A PFM may be used

practically anyplace because it is portable and lightweight. It's crucial to consistently use the

same PFM. Different brands and models of metres might produce different readings. The

test may occasionally be carried out using a spirometer in a doctor's office or hospital. A

handheld mouthpiece for this instrument is corded to a bigger electronic system.

2.Lung volume measurement.

The FEV1/FVC ratio is often used in diagnosing and monitoring the treatment of lung diseases

such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

FVC: Forced vital capacity, or the full amount of air that can be exhaled with effort in a

complete breath .

FEV1: Forced expiratory volume in one second, or the volume of breath exhaled with effort in

one second.

FVC/FEV1 ratio :FE1 divided by FVC.Normally its 80%.

3. Principle and preparation of Spirometer

Patient positioning.

• Sit up straight: As long as there are no obstructions and the patient is sitting up straight, there

should be no difference in how much air they can exhale from a sitting posture compared to a

standing position.

• Flat feet on the floor with the legs straight; this posture avoids using the abdominal muscles

to support the legs.

• Loosen tightly fitting clothes. Tight clothing can produce constrictive spirometry results (give

lower volumes than are true).

• Sit in a chair with arms. Patients who exhale deeply may experience dizziness, swaying, or

fainting.

Technique

There are a number of different techniques for performing spirometry.

• Before performing the forced expiration, tidal (normal) breaths can be taken first, then

a deep breath taken in while still using the mouthpiece, followed by a further quick, full

inspiration.

• Alternatively, a deep breath can be taken in, then the mouth is placed tightly around

the mouthpiece before a full expiration.

• The patient can be asked to completely empty their lungs and then take in a quick full

inspiration, followed by a full expiration.

Conclusion
“Normal” results for a spirometry test vary from person to person. They’re based on your

age,height,race and sex. If your FVC is lower than 80%, something is restricting your

breathing.FEV1 measurement to grade how severe any breathing concerns are.

Percentage of predicted FEV1 value

80% or greater - normal

70%–79%-mildly abnormal

60%–69%-moderately abnormal

50%–59%-moderate to severely abnormal

35%–49%-severely abnormal

less than 35% very severely abnormal

Doctors often analyze the FVC and FEV1 separately, then calculate your FEV1/FVC ratio.

The FEV1/FVC ratio is a number that represents the percentage of your lung capacity you’re

able to exhale in 1 second.In the absence of restrictive lung disease that causes a normal or

elevated FEV1/FVC ratio, the higher the percentage gotten from your FEV1/FVC ratio means

the healthier your lungs are.A low ratio less than 70% means that something is blocking the

airways.

2. Which of the following reading for the health person? Justify.

(a) (b)
Diagram (a) shows the reading for a healthy person. This is because calculating the

FEV1/FVC ratio shows the normal range where the value is 80%. So there is no obstruction

in their airways.

3. You review a 54-year-old female with persistent changes on her chest x-ray, which were

first noted incidentally. On taking a history, you determine that she has had a reduced
exercise tolerance for several months.
You order formal pulmonary function tests, which reveal:

The person likely to have some obstruction in her airway.This is due to the FEV1 and FVC

value is below what is predicted.Based on this result,she might have asthma, COPD, and

restrictive diseases such as intertitial pulmonary fibrosis.

References

• Janelle Martel and James Roland,on November 11, 2021,All about pulmonary

function tests,Healthline,Retrieved from,

https://www.healthline.com/health/pulmonary-function-tests

• V.C. Moore,Breathe 2012 8: 232-240; DOI: 10.1183/20734735.0021711,Retrieved

from https://breathe.ersjournals.com/content/8/3/232

• https://www.ucsfhealth.org/medical-tests/pulmonary-function-tests

• Johns Hopkins medicine,21 September 2019,Peak flow measurement, Retrieved

from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/peak-

flow-measurement