This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Vital capacity

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

This is the maximum volume that an individual can expire after a single maximal inspiration.

In contrast to the forced maximal capacity the expiration is not performed as quickly as possible but as completely as possible.

The VC is the total lung capacity minus the residual volume.

The VC is reduced in both obstructive and restrictive respirartory disease.

The VC is:

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

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.