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Section 5: Respiratory Disorders
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The diagnosis of “obstructive” pattern in pulmonary function testing requires one of the following:
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A. Positive bronchodilator response
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B. Increased FEV1/FVC ratio
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C. Decreased FEV1/FVC ratio
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D. Increased total lung capacity
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E. Decreased residual volume
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The answer is C. Obstruction is defined as a decreased FEV1/FVC ratio in spirometry. Both values are affected but the FEV1 is decreased to a greater extend that makes the ratio low.
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A positive bronchodilator response is defined as:
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A. Increase in FEV1 >500 mL
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B. Increase in FEV1>200 mL
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D. Increase in FEV1 >200 mL and 12%
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The answer is D. A positive bronchodilator response is defined by an increase of 12% and 200 mL after the administration of a B -agonist. Both criteria need to be met.
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A patient can be described as having “air trapping” on their pulmonary function testing when which of the following findings is present?
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A. Increased total lung capacity
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B. Increased residual volume
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D. Increased FEV1/FVC ratio
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The answer is B. Air trapping is defined as the inability to fully exhale and diagnosed when the Residual volume is increased above 120% normal.
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The following are causes of restrictive lung pattern in pulmonary function tests except:
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D. Neuromuscular disease causing weakness of the respiratory muscles
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The answer is C. Asthma is characterized by and obstructive pattern on spirometry, all the other pathologies have a restrictive pattern.
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A 64-year-old woman presents to his primary care physician with dyspnea on exertion and chronic cough. She is and active smoker and has been smoking one pack of cigarettes a day for 40 years. Her physician suspects the diagnosis of COPD. What set of pulmonary function test confirms the diagnosis?
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