Certified Pulmonary Function Technologist (CPFT) Practice Exam

Maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) refers to the maximum amount of air that a person can inhale and exhale in one minute during rapid, deep breathing. This measurement assesses the ventilatory capacity of the lungs and overall respiratory muscle strength and endurance. MVV is a crucial parameter in pulmonary function testing as it helps to evaluate the ability of the respiratory system to handle increased levels of ventilation.

During the MVV test, a person is typically instructed to breathe as deeply and quickly as possible over a defined time period, often 12 seconds, which is then extrapolated to a one-minute measurement. The result reflects the maximum effort a person can exert in terms of ventilation.

The other choices relate to different aspects of lung function but do not accurately define MVV. The first choice describes normal, resting breathing rather than the exertion involved in MVV. The third choice relates to total lung capacity, which is a different measurement that evaluates lung volume after maximum inhalation, and the fourth choice refers to residual volume, indicating the air left in the lungs after a full exhalation.