When is fev1 relevant

Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Updated visitor guidelines. Top of the page. Topic Overview Forced expiratory volume FEV measures how much air a person can exhale during a forced breath. It is used to: Diagnose obstructive lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD.

See how well medicines used to improve breathing are working. This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. Reprints and Permissions. Respir Res 13, 57 Download citation. Received : 23 February Accepted : 21 May Published : 04 July Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:. Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

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Background Spirometry is the fundamental diagnostic method in obstructive lung diseases because it is easy and inexpensive to perform, and thus it can be used as a screening test. Table 1 Reference sample selection criteria and characteristics of the study sample Full size table. Data analysis The strength of the relationship between FEV1 and FVC was described quantitatively with the fraction of explained variance R 2 and the correlation coefficient r.

Figure 1. Full size image. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4. References 1. Google Scholar 5. PubMed Article Google Scholar 8. Article Google Scholar 9. PubMed Article Google Scholar Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Forced expiratory volume FEV1 is the maximum amount of air you can forcefully exhale in one second.

It is used to describe the degree of airway obstruction caused by asthma in a routine test called spirometry or pulmonary function testing, using an instrument called a spirometer. FEV1 is calculated by converting the spriometer reading to a percentage of what would be predicted as normal based on a several personal factors. FEV1 is one of the most common indices used to assess airway obstruction.

FEV1 is not the same as peak flow volume, which is determined with a device called peak flow meter that estimates the amount of air you can push out of your lungs in a single, untimed forceful exhalation.

When measured over time, changes in peak flow can be an indication of whether asthma is well controlled or not. An FEV1 test is most likely to be ordered by a healthcare provider as part of complete pulmonary function testing.

It may be done to assess symptoms before an asthma diagnosis has been made or to monitor asthma control as part of an asthma action plan. Your healthcare provider may order pulmonary function testing if you have certain respiratory symptoms, such as:. Although originally the only way to measure forced exhalation volume was in a healthcare provider's office, it is now possible to do so using a home spirometer, allowing you and your healthcare provider to use FEV1 testing as part of your home monitoring for asthma.

Many asthma action plans use peak flows as one of the triggers for action on your part. You will determine what your personal best exhalation is and then base your action on a percentage of that number. Eur Respir J ; Response of lung volumes to inhaled salbutamol in a large population of patients with severe hyperinflation. We hope this information is of help to you and your practice. All our best.