'Reversible' obstruction?
- Caucasian man, age 53 yr, standing height 178 cm, has been smoking 20 cigarettes daily for 36 yr
- for over 10 yr daily cough and phlegm
- shortness of breath during exercise
- in autumn/winter exacerbations, occasionally with a wheezy chest.
Spirometry |
|||
| index | pre bronchodilator | post bronchodilator | predicted |
| FEV1 | 1.85 L | 2.02 L | 3.62 L |
| FVC | 4.70 L | 4.86 L | 4.77 L |
| FEV1%FVC | 39% | 42% | 75% |
The FEV1, the FVC, and FEV1%FVC all improved after inhaling a bronchodilator (salbutamol).
- The improvement
signifies bronchodilatation.
- The improvement
is too small to be denoted as a bronchodilator effect.
- You do not know the
criteria for assessing a bronchodilator effect.