This site is intended for healthcare professionals

CPD
CPD
Pro
Pro
Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Go to /pro/cpd-dashboard page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. CPD dashboard

Go to /account/subscription-details page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. Upgrade to Pro

FVC

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

This is the volume of air expelled by a forced maximal expiration from a position of full inspiration. The value for FVC may be slightly less than for VC.

The FVC is:

  • usually 3-6 litres, varying with age, gender and height
  • reduced in obstructive and restrictive defects
  • correlated with disability in chronic respiratory disaese

The FVC is reduced in both obstructive and restrictive respiratory disease:

  • in patients with airways obstruction the FEV1 is disproportionately reduced as compared to the FVC, resulting in a low FEV1/FVC ratio

  • in patients with restrictive pulmonary disease the FEV1 and FVC fall proportionately, resulting in normal values for FEV1/FVC

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.