Lung function abnormalities in different respiratory diseases

Abstract

The most common lung function abnormalities in patients with respiratory diseases have been reviewed in the article. Ventilation disorders with change in the lung volumes, bronchial obstruction and hypoxemia are typical for patients with pneumonia. Lung compliance reduction, inconsistency of ventilation, and ventilation perfusion mismatch could be found in chronic non-obstructive bronchitis. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is associated with bronchial obstruction which is defined as decreased forced expiratory volume for 1 sec (FEV1) and forced expiratory flows at different levels of forced vital capacity (FVC) and increased airway resistance. Asthma is associated with reversible change in expiratory flows, such as FEV1 and peak expiratory flow, due to bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Residual volume (RV) could increase in patients with acute asthma attack. Emphysema is characterized by changes in lung volumes, primarily due to increased RV; lung diffusing capacity (DLCO) could decrease and the lung perfusion could change. Mixed (obstructive and restrictive) lung ventilation disorders could be diagnosed in patients with chronic purulent lung diseases. Patients with disseminated lung lesions could demonstrate decreased lung compliance, reduced lung volumes, decreased DLCO and hypoxemia without hypercapnia.