Certified Pulmonary Function Technologist (CPFT) Practice Exam

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What measurement is essential for assessing lung function related to airflow obstruction?

Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)
Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF)
Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1)
Residual Volume (RV)

The correct answer is: Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1)

Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1) is critical for assessing lung function related to airflow obstruction because it measures the volume of air a person can forcibly exhale in the first second of a breath. This measurement is particularly significant in diagnosing conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), where airflow limitation is a hallmark characteristic. A reduced FEV1 indicates obstruction in the airways, as the patient may not be able to expel air freely, reflecting the severity of the condition and helping guide treatment. While Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) also provide valuable information regarding lung function, FEV1 is specifically focused on the rate of airflow during the initial part of forced exhalation, making it a direct indicator of obstruction. Residual Volume (RV) measures the amount of air remaining in the lungs after a forced exhalation and does not provide information on airflow limitation during expiration. This distinction emphasizes the importance of FEV1 in evaluating respiratory diseases characterized by airflow restriction.