Concurrent measurements of functional residual capacity by three methods

Abstract

We made concurrent measurements of the functional residual capacity (FRC) with the body plethysmograph (thoracic gas volume) and by 7-min and prolonged open-circuit nitrogen dilution methods (communicating gas volume). The mean difference between the 7-min communicating gas volume and the thoracic gas volume in 13 healthy subjects was only 0.13 liters. The thoracic gas volume averaged 0.99 liters larger than the communicating gas volume after 7 min of O2 breathing in 13 patients with emphysema. The communicating gas volume at 12–18 min was the same as the thoracic gas volume in 11 of 13 patients but was smaller in the other 2. When the thoracic gas volume was used to measure FRC, the total lung capacity averaged 142% of predicted normal in 13 patients with emphysema. Submitted on January 4, 1962