BACK FROM THE DOCTOR'S

[Seana30]

Thanks for all the kind words and advice!

Cowtown....can you explain this to me more.

This is what my PFT paperwork says:

FVC-4.219
FEV1-3.488
FEV1/FVC-71%
FEF25-75%-2.344
PEF-5.596

What does all of this mean??

Thanks!

Seana

 

[cdale613]

Hi Seana,

Here is a brief explanation of the numbers you gave us:

FVC 4.219 = Forced Vital Capacity of 4.219 liters. Forced Vital Capacity is the total amount of air you can blow out after you take as deep a breath as possible.

FEV1 3.488 = Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second of 3.488 liters. FEV1 is the amount of air you blow out in one second after taking your deep breath.

FEV1/FVC 71% = This is the ratio of your FEV1 over FVC. This is NOT the same saying "my FEV1 is....x%" The FEV1 percentage you hear talked about on the board is a percent of predicted based on a "healthy" person with the same height/wieght/sex/age, etc. Saying you have an FEV1 of 71 percent is not the same as saying your FEV1/FVC ratio is 71%. Generally speaking, the medical community considers an FEV1 of 80 percent of predicted and above as "normal." I've also read that in "healthy" adults, the FEV1/FVC ratio is between 75% and 80%. Remember, given that no one blows all their air out in 1 second, it is impossible for anyone to have a FEV1/FVC of 100%.

FEF 25-75% 2.344 = Forced Expiratory Flow, 25-75 Percent, measured in liters. This is a volume amount, not a percentage. It is the average flow of air coming out during the "middle" - referred to as the 25-75% of the time it takes to exhale. So, during the middle of your exhalation, you blew out 2.344 liters. This number is not particularly useful, but it does offer some insight about how much small airway disease you have.

PEF is Peak Expiratory Flow, and is the Rate (liters per second) at which you blew out air at the beginning exhalation. So, at the beginning, you blew air out at a rate of 5.5 liters per second. It makes sense that you slow down as the exhalation continued. This number doesn't really mean a lot clinically speaking.


So... Those are the numbers you provided, and what they mean. I would say that you have an incomplete set of results as they do not provide you with a percent of predicted for your FEV1, FVC, or FEF 25-75. For future reference, the % of predicted FEV1 is the measure that carries the most "weight" in clinical situations involving CF.

Hope this helps! Feel free to PM if you have any more specific questions.

Chris

26 m w/CF

 

[cdale613]

Hi Seana,

Here is a brief explanation of the numbers you gave us:

FVC 4.219 = Forced Vital Capacity of 4.219 liters. Forced Vital Capacity is the total amount of air you can blow out after you take as deep a breath as possible.

FEV1 3.488 = Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second of 3.488 liters. FEV1 is the amount of air you blow out in one second after taking your deep breath.

FEV1/FVC 71% = This is the ratio of your FEV1 over FVC. This is NOT the same saying "my FEV1 is....x%" The FEV1 percentage you hear talked about on the board is a percent of predicted based on a "healthy" person with the same height/wieght/sex/age, etc. Saying you have an FEV1 of 71 percent is not the same as saying your FEV1/FVC ratio is 71%. Generally speaking, the medical community considers an FEV1 of 80 percent of predicted and above as "normal." I've also read that in "healthy" adults, the FEV1/FVC ratio is between 75% and 80%. Remember, given that no one blows all their air out in 1 second, it is impossible for anyone to have a FEV1/FVC of 100%.

FEF 25-75% 2.344 = Forced Expiratory Flow, 25-75 Percent, measured in liters. This is a volume amount, not a percentage. It is the average flow of air coming out during the "middle" - referred to as the 25-75% of the time it takes to exhale. So, during the middle of your exhalation, you blew out 2.344 liters. This number is not particularly useful, but it does offer some insight about how much small airway disease you have.

PEF is Peak Expiratory Flow, and is the Rate (liters per second) at which you blew out air at the beginning exhalation. So, at the beginning, you blew air out at a rate of 5.5 liters per second. It makes sense that you slow down as the exhalation continued. This number doesn't really mean a lot clinically speaking.


So... Those are the numbers you provided, and what they mean. I would say that you have an incomplete set of results as they do not provide you with a percent of predicted for your FEV1, FVC, or FEF 25-75. For future reference, the % of predicted FEV1 is the measure that carries the most "weight" in clinical situations involving CF.

Hope this helps! Feel free to PM if you have any more specific questions.

Chris

26 m w/CF

 

[cdale613]

Hi Seana,

Here is a brief explanation of the numbers you gave us:

FVC 4.219 = Forced Vital Capacity of 4.219 liters. Forced Vital Capacity is the total amount of air you can blow out after you take as deep a breath as possible.

FEV1 3.488 = Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second of 3.488 liters. FEV1 is the amount of air you blow out in one second after taking your deep breath.

FEV1/FVC 71% = This is the ratio of your FEV1 over FVC. This is NOT the same saying "my FEV1 is....x%" The FEV1 percentage you hear talked about on the board is a percent of predicted based on a "healthy" person with the same height/wieght/sex/age, etc. Saying you have an FEV1 of 71 percent is not the same as saying your FEV1/FVC ratio is 71%. Generally speaking, the medical community considers an FEV1 of 80 percent of predicted and above as "normal." I've also read that in "healthy" adults, the FEV1/FVC ratio is between 75% and 80%. Remember, given that no one blows all their air out in 1 second, it is impossible for anyone to have a FEV1/FVC of 100%.

FEF 25-75% 2.344 = Forced Expiratory Flow, 25-75 Percent, measured in liters. This is a volume amount, not a percentage. It is the average flow of air coming out during the "middle" - referred to as the 25-75% of the time it takes to exhale. So, during the middle of your exhalation, you blew out 2.344 liters. This number is not particularly useful, but it does offer some insight about how much small airway disease you have.

PEF is Peak Expiratory Flow, and is the Rate (liters per second) at which you blew out air at the beginning exhalation. So, at the beginning, you blew air out at a rate of 5.5 liters per second. It makes sense that you slow down as the exhalation continued. This number doesn't really mean a lot clinically speaking.


So... Those are the numbers you provided, and what they mean. I would say that you have an incomplete set of results as they do not provide you with a percent of predicted for your FEV1, FVC, or FEF 25-75. For future reference, the % of predicted FEV1 is the measure that carries the most "weight" in clinical situations involving CF.

Hope this helps! Feel free to PM if you have any more specific questions.

Chris

26 m w/CF

 

[JustDucky]

I am sorry you are having such problems with that knee.. Waiting for results is the hardest part...I call it the hurry up and wait game, even though it isn't really a game at all. As far as your FEV1/FVC...that is a ratio between the two values. Docs use it to see if there is obstructive problems (such as asthma, COPD, emphysema, CF can do that as well...) or restrictive disorders such as pulmonary fibrosis, or neuromuscular respiratory disease for example. A reading below 80% usually indicates an obstructive pattern. Above 80% restrictive. Now keep in mind that you have to look at the FEV1 and FVC separately, see where you fall percentage wise as far as your gender, height and age. . I will give you a personal example....the last time I had PFT's (before I was vented), my FEV1 was 15% and my FVC was 14%...I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but a baby could have done a better job! Anyhow, using the actual numbers and calculating the FEV1/FVC ratio, it was around 90%, which showed a severe restrictive defect on my part. I have muscular dystrophy as well as CF issues (discovered after I was vented). Because I can't physically expand my lungs, they are "restricted", that is why the restrictive label. I hope that I have not confused you....I am not a RT, so if anything is wrong, correct me please folks! Anyhow, I hope you get those results soon, then you can take it from there. Hugs, jenn <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[JustDucky]

I am sorry you are having such problems with that knee.. Waiting for results is the hardest part...I call it the hurry up and wait game, even though it isn't really a game at all. As far as your FEV1/FVC...that is a ratio between the two values. Docs use it to see if there is obstructive problems (such as asthma, COPD, emphysema, CF can do that as well...) or restrictive disorders such as pulmonary fibrosis, or neuromuscular respiratory disease for example. A reading below 80% usually indicates an obstructive pattern. Above 80% restrictive. Now keep in mind that you have to look at the FEV1 and FVC separately, see where you fall percentage wise as far as your gender, height and age. . I will give you a personal example....the last time I had PFT's (before I was vented), my FEV1 was 15% and my FVC was 14%...I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but a baby could have done a better job! Anyhow, using the actual numbers and calculating the FEV1/FVC ratio, it was around 90%, which showed a severe restrictive defect on my part. I have muscular dystrophy as well as CF issues (discovered after I was vented). Because I can't physically expand my lungs, they are "restricted", that is why the restrictive label. I hope that I have not confused you....I am not a RT, so if anything is wrong, correct me please folks! Anyhow, I hope you get those results soon, then you can take it from there. Hugs, jenn <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[JustDucky]

I am sorry you are having such problems with that knee.. Waiting for results is the hardest part...I call it the hurry up and wait game, even though it isn't really a game at all. As far as your FEV1/FVC...that is a ratio between the two values. Docs use it to see if there is obstructive problems (such as asthma, COPD, emphysema, CF can do that as well...) or restrictive disorders such as pulmonary fibrosis, or neuromuscular respiratory disease for example. A reading below 80% usually indicates an obstructive pattern. Above 80% restrictive. Now keep in mind that you have to look at the FEV1 and FVC separately, see where you fall percentage wise as far as your gender, height and age. . I will give you a personal example....the last time I had PFT's (before I was vented), my FEV1 was 15% and my FVC was 14%...I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but a baby could have done a better job! Anyhow, using the actual numbers and calculating the FEV1/FVC ratio, it was around 90%, which showed a severe restrictive defect on my part. I have muscular dystrophy as well as CF issues (discovered after I was vented). Because I can't physically expand my lungs, they are "restricted", that is why the restrictive label. I hope that I have not confused you....I am not a RT, so if anything is wrong, correct me please folks! Anyhow, I hope you get those results soon, then you can take it from there. Hugs, jenn <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[Seana30]

Thank you very much for explaining the PFT's to me cepaciagal and Chris!

It helped me alot!!

I appreciate it!

Seana

 

[Seana30]

Thank you very much for explaining the PFT's to me cepaciagal and Chris!

It helped me alot!!

I appreciate it!

Seana

 

[Seana30]

Thank you very much for explaining the PFT's to me cepaciagal and Chris!

It helped me alot!!

I appreciate it!

Seana

 

[Bumblebee]

hiya.

<br><br>
Glad to hear the doctors are testing you. But as others have said the ratio isn't what we're talking about when we mention fev1 percentage.
I have to say an fev1 os 3.4 is really high. I did a quick calculation and even if you were 35 and 6ft that would be a percentage of about 90%. So if your older it'll be a higher percentage (as fev will go down as people age), and if you shorter it will also be higher - as fev1 is higher in capacity if your taller.
<br><br>
So good news really. Just wanted to reassure you
<br><br>
oh the website i used to take a guess (without knowing your age or height) is http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/pftlab/pfpred.htm and i took my values from the JHH column as that is close to what my clinic have told me in the past.
<br><br>
Incidently i have a sore knee at the moment and it sucks! hope you get that sorted soon!
<br><br>
Oh and even if your FEV1 was 71% that isn't considered "really" bad at all.


xxxxx

 

[Bumblebee]

hiya.

<br><br>
Glad to hear the doctors are testing you. But as others have said the ratio isn't what we're talking about when we mention fev1 percentage.
I have to say an fev1 os 3.4 is really high. I did a quick calculation and even if you were 35 and 6ft that would be a percentage of about 90%. So if your older it'll be a higher percentage (as fev will go down as people age), and if you shorter it will also be higher - as fev1 is higher in capacity if your taller.
<br><br>
So good news really. Just wanted to reassure you
<br><br>
oh the website i used to take a guess (without knowing your age or height) is http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/pftlab/pfpred.htm and i took my values from the JHH column as that is close to what my clinic have told me in the past.
<br><br>
Incidently i have a sore knee at the moment and it sucks! hope you get that sorted soon!
<br><br>
Oh and even if your FEV1 was 71% that isn't considered "really" bad at all.


xxxxx

 

[Bumblebee]

hiya.

<br><br>
Glad to hear the doctors are testing you. But as others have said the ratio isn't what we're talking about when we mention fev1 percentage.
I have to say an fev1 os 3.4 is really high. I did a quick calculation and even if you were 35 and 6ft that would be a percentage of about 90%. So if your older it'll be a higher percentage (as fev will go down as people age), and if you shorter it will also be higher - as fev1 is higher in capacity if your taller.
<br><br>
So good news really. Just wanted to reassure you
<br><br>
oh the website i used to take a guess (without knowing your age or height) is http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/pftlab/pfpred.htm and i took my values from the JHH column as that is close to what my clinic have told me in the past.
<br><br>
Incidently i have a sore knee at the moment and it sucks! hope you get that sorted soon!
<br><br>
Oh and even if your FEV1 was 71% that isn't considered "really" bad at all.


xxxxx