Bilad Alrafidain University College
Department of pharmacy
Practical physiology
Second year
Determination of Respiratory rate
and lung volumes
Assist .lect. Noor Bashar
Assist .lect. Jinan Aziz
• Aim:
• To learn the physiology bases, types, factors
and controllers of respiratory rate and
respiratory volumes.
• Key concepts:
The lungs expand and contracts in two ways :-
1- the downward and upward movement of
diaphragm to lengthen or shorten the chest
cavity
2-the elevation and depression of the ribs to
increase or decrease the anterior and posterior
diameter of the chest cavity
• ***Quite breathing is accomplished entirely by
the diaphragm movements. During inspiration,
contraction of diaphragm pulls the lower surface
of the lung downward, creating a negative
pressure inside the lung allowing the air to move
into the lung under the influence of atmospheric
pressure. During expiration, the diaphragm
simply relaxes and the elastic recoil of the lung,
chest wall and abdominal structures compresses
the lung to expel the air. In addition, there is no
attachment of lung to the chest wall (floating in
the thoracic cavity) and a sliding movement of
the lung within the pleural sac (that contain
pleural fluid – lubricant).
• tidal volume (TV):-the total lung volume is about
6L. During quite breathing bout 0.5L of air is flow
into or leaves the lung
• Functional residual capacity (FRC) :-The volume of
air remaining after expiration of tidal volume and
is about 4 to 3.0 L
• inspiratory reserve volume (IRV):- The maximum
volume of air that can be increased over the tidal
volume during forced inspiration which normally
about 2.5 to 3L (~ 6 times VT).
• expiratory reserve volume (ERV) :-is the
maximum volume of air that can be
increased over the tidal volume during
forced expiration (normally 1.2 to 1.5L).
• residual volume (RV) :-The volume of air
remaining after active expiration and is
about 1.2 to 1.5 L
*** the lung volume during forced
inspiration= RV+ERV+TV+IRV = 6L.
• The vital capacity (VC) of the lung is important
measurement when assessing pulmonary
function which represents the maximal volume
of air a person can expire after a maximal
inspiration.
• This means expiring TV (0.5L), IRV (3L) and
ERV (1.2L) = 4.7L.
• Healthy person must expel 80% of this volume
in 1sec. “Forced expiratory volume in 1 sec
(FEV1)”. Hence, VC & FEV1 are diagnostics and
called pulmonary function tests.
• In obstructive lung diseases (asthma), FEV1 is < 80%
because there is a difficulty to expire air rapidly
through narrowed airways. However; in restrictive lung
diseases (normal airways resistance, but impaired
respiratory movements like abnormalities in lung
tissue, the pleura, the chest wall or the neuromuscular
machinery), there is a decrease in VC but normal ratio
of FEV1 to VC.
• The amount of new air moved into the respiratory
passages each minute is called minute respiratory
volume (TV x Respiratory rate/min) = 0.5L x 12
breaths/min = 6L/min
• A person can live for a short time with a minute
respiratory volume as low as 1.5L/min and a
respiratory rate only 2-4 breaths/min
• Equipment and requirements
Spirometry
Procedure
- The volunteer has to sit in a quiet, airtight
room.
-The volunteer has to wear a nose clip and
place his lips around a mouthpiece
connected to a machine.
- The volunteer has to breathe in and breathe
out quietly and enforcedly as instructed by the
provider.
-The machine will record the lung volumes.
-Count the number of exhalations during quite
expiration in 1 minute (the respiratory rate)
- record all lung volumes.