Lung volumes: clinical application

Published on January 31, 2024   16 min

A selection of talks on Clinical Practice

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0:00
Hello, this is Henry Fessler. I'm a Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Director of Education in the division of pulmonary and critical care. The first lecture discussed the static elastic properties of the lung and chest wall, and how these physiological characteristics result in some of the specific named lung volumes. This lecture will cover how we measure clinically important lung volumes in the pulmonary function laboratory and how we can interpret and apply the findings in patients.
0:28
In this lecture, I'll review the definition of the name of the lung volumes. Then, I'll discuss in some detail the principles of measurement by three different techniques, gas dilution, the most commonly used method, body plethysmography, the most difficult-to-pronounce method, and radiology. Finally, I'll say a few words about the interpretation of abnormalities.
0:49
To review from the basic physiology lecture, there are four named major lung volumes of the lung: tidal volume, residual volume, expiratory reserve volume, and inspiratory reserve volume. There are also four named capacities: total lung capacity, functional residual capacity, vital capacity, and inspiratory capacity.
1:12
Many of these volumes and capacities can be measured with a spirometer, arguably the most important piece of pulmonary function testing equipment. Although modern equipment is more compact and computerized, this photo of a traditional water-filled spirometer more clearly illustrates how it works. The patient inhales in and out of a mouthpiece. This raises or lowers a lightweight plastic bell, while the excursions of the bell are recorded in units of volume against time on a rotating drum called a kymograph.