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    MATHEMATICS AND THE WORLD AROUND US
    REAL-LIFE, REAL-WORLD, CONTEX-BASED, APPLIED MATHEMATICS

SPIROMETRY - pulmonary function test

WHAT DOES THE RESULT CONTAIN?

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As you can see, many numbers and graphs :)

  • result-spirometry-curve
    SPIROMETRY CURVE

    This is a spirometry curve represemted by a graph named BOX-PLOT.

  • result-spirometry-curve
    VOLUME-TIME CURVE

    This is a special curve created from the Spirometry curve.

  • result-spirometry-curve
    FLOW-VOLUME LOOP

    This is a special curve created from the Volume-Time curve.

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    DATE AND TIME

    These dates and times tell us, when were the spirometry assessments provided. The first spirometry was provided on April 17th, 2012 (denoted by PRE). The second spirometry was provided on May 3th, 2012 (denoted by POST).

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    PREDICTED VALUES

    Predicted values are values which should be achieved by a healthy human - non-smoker, who has the same sex, height and weight as the tested patient.

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    MEASURED VALUES

    Measured values represents patient's values measured during the two assessments, PRE (April 17th, 2012) and POST (May 3th, 2012).

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THAT RESULT?

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We solve small mathematical problems. These problems help us to create the whole spirometry result. In addition, they also show us medical meaning of information hidden in the result.
The tasks are split into 3 parts. The first part is dedicated to the Spirometry curve. The second part is dedicated to the Volume-time curve and the last one, to the Flow-volume loop. At the end of every part we can find a summary and a game - a price for your hard work :).

WHAT IF I CAN NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM? OR IF IT IS TOO DIFFICULT FOR ME?

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Do not worry! There is a "helper" for every task!

Ask for a help if you need it...

HELPERS

If you do not know how to solve the problem, ask for a help!

Helper is an advice. It shows you, how you should think about the problem if you want to solve it.

Helpers are denoted by the same number as tasks and you can find them on every page if you click on a BULB on a menu located in the top-right corner.

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Ask your friends...

FORUM - CHAT

If you do not know how to solve some problem, ask your friends!

Many times, if you have a problem, there are many people who were in the same situation as well. For these situations we prepared the forum for you. You can discuss freely, without any annoying registration there!

Forum, or Chat, is also located on every page and you can find it if you click on a PEN on a menu in the top-right corner,

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Let's begin

Answers

PLEASE NOTE that the answers taken from the graph's data are only approximate! The difference between yours and our answers can be +-100ml.

Answer 1.1

Our patient's Forced Vital Capacity is approximately 2340ml.

If there is a big difference between yours and our answer, try to check the HELPER to this problem (bulb picture).

Answer 1-1 graph
Answer 1.2

Yes, there is a difference.

Forced Vital Capacity of a healthy, 56 years old man who is 171cm tall should be 4.06l, but the patient's measured FVC is 2.34l.

Our patient's Forced Vital capacity is decreased.

Answer 1.3

There can be Restrictive lung disease expected but, to affirm this suspicion, it is necessary to know other parameters' values like Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) or Peak expiratory flow (PEF).

(Missing parameters are discussed and can be discovered and understood in the next chapters.)

Answer 1.4

Our patient's Tidal Volume is approximately 0.5 liter.

Answer 1-1 graph

Expiratory Reserve Volume is approximately 0.82 liter.

Inspiratory Reserve Volume is approximately 1.02 liter.

Note:There was a small change in an exhaled air at the end of the Spirometry - patient exhaled deeper. Mentioned change is caused by a forced exhalation in 9 - 11 second and we can neglect it in our counts.

Answer 1.5

Tidal volume of a healthy, 56 years old man, non-smoker who is 171 cm tall is lying in an interval <0.61 l ; 0.73 l> (15% - 18% of FVC of a healthy man, non-smoker, who has requested high and age).

Expiratory Reserve Volume of a healthy, 56 years old man, non-smoker who is 171 cm tall is 1.02 liter.

Inspiratory Reserve Volume of a healthy, 56 years old man, non-smoker who is 171 cm tall is 2.44 liter.

Our patient's measured values in comparison to the values of a healthy man, 56 years old, non-smoker, who is 171 cm tall.

56 YEARS OLD MAN, 171 cm FVC [l] TV [l] ERV [l] IRV [l]
MEASURED/PATIENT'S VALUES 2.34 0.5 0.82 1.02
IDEAL/TABLE VALUES 4.06 <0.6, 0.73> 1.02 2.44
Answer 1.6
Answer 1-6 graph
Answer 1-6 graph

something to think about: Is the y-location (location against the volume ax-axis) of a spirometry curve important? Is there any change on TV, IRV, ERV and FVC if we move it above/below?

Helpers

PLEASE NOTE that the answers taken from the graph's data are only approximate! The difference between yours and our answers can be +-100ml.

Helper 1.1

Firstly, it is necessary to understand the graph we are working with.

Try to answer following questions

1. Which Spirometry Curve parts are related to the patient's inhalations and which one to his exhalations?

To find an answer to this question, the imagine of a simple breathing can help. Try to close your eyes, inhale and exhale few times. Is the air volume in your lungs increasing or decreasing when you are inhaling air?

Check your answer HERE

Helper 1-1 graph
2. When the patient's greatest exhalation started? (the exhalation during which patient exhaled the greatest volume of an air)

Note

If there are more than one of this type of exhalations, we are interested in the first one. The first one was executed on behalf of a doctor's appeal, after a forced inhalation.

Check your answer HERE

Helper 1-1 graph
3. When the patient's greatest exhalation finished?

Check your answer HERE

Helper 1-1 graph

I am sure, you can solve the problem 1.1 easily now. What is the volume of an air exhaled during the greatest exhalation?

Helper 1.2

Try to look to the Forced Vital Capacity predicted values' table (a link is available after problem 1.2 assignment).

What Forced Vital Capacity should have a healthy man, who is 56 years old and 171cm high?

As a height unit, INCH is used in a table. Inches are usually used in an anglophone districts, most common in the USA and the United Kingdom (1 inch = 2.54 cm).

Man's Forced Vital Capacity Predicted Values
AGE (years)
HEIGHT (inches) 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65
60 2.97 2.91 2.85 2.79 2.74 2.68 2.62 2.56
60.5 3.05 2.99 2.93 2.88 2.82 2.76 2.70 2.64
61 3.13 3.08 3.02 2.96 2.90 2.84 2.79 2.73
61.5 3.22 3.16 3.10 3.04 2.98 2.93 2.87 2.81
62 3.30 3.24 3.18 3.12 3.07 3.01 2.95 2.89
62.5 3.38 3.32 3.26 3.21 3.15 3.09 3.03 2.97
63 3.46 3.41 3.35 3.29 3.23 3.17 3.12 3.06
63.5 3.55 3.49 3.43 3.37 3.31 3.26 3.20 3.14
64 3.63 3.57 3.51 3.45 3.40 3.34 3.28 3.22
64.5 3.71 3.65 3.59 3.54 3.48 3.42 3.36 3.30
65 3.79 3.74 3.68 3.62 3.56 3.50 3.45 3.39
65.5 3.88 3.82 3.76 3.70 3.64 3.59 3.53 3.47
66 3.96 3.90 3.84 3.78 3.73 3.67 3.61 3.55
66.5 4.04 3.98 3.93 3.87 3.81 3.75 3.69 3.64
67 4.12 4.07 4.01 3.95 3.89 3.83 3.78 3.72
67.5 4.21 4.15 4.09 4.03 3.97 3.92 3.86 3.80
68 4.29 4.23 4.17 4.11 4.06 4.00 3.94 3.88
68.5 4.37 4.31 4.26 4.20 4.14 4.08 4.02 3.97
69 4.45 4.40 4.34 4.28 4.22 4.16 4.11 4.05
69.5 4.54 4.48 4.42 4.36 4.30 4.25 4.19 4.13
70 4.62 4.56 4.50 4.45 4.39 4.33 4.27 4.21
70.5 4.70 4.64 4.59 4.53 4.47 4.41 4.35 4.30
71 4.78 4.73 4.67 4.61 4.55 4.49 4.44 4.38
71.5 4.87 4.81 4.75 4.69 4.63 4.58 4.52 4.46
72 4.95 4.89 4.83 4.78 4.72 4.66 4.60 4.54
72.5 5.03 4.97 4.92 4.86 4.80 4.74 4.68 4.63
73 5.11 5.06 5.00 4.94 4.88 4.82 4.77 4.71
73.5 5.20 5.14 5.08 5.02 4.96 4.91 4.85 4.79
74 5.28 5.22 5.16 5.11 5.05 4.99 4.93 4.87
74.5 5.36 5.30 5.25 5.19 5.13 5.07 5.01 4.96
75 5.44 5.39 5.33 5.27 5.21 5.15 5.10 5.04
75.5 5.53 5.47 5.41 5.35 5.30 5.24 5.18 5.12
76 5.61 5.55 5.49 5.44 5.38 5.32 5.26 5.20
76.5 5.69 5.63 5.58 5.52 5.46 5.40 5.34 5.29
77 5.77 5.72 5.66 5.60 5.54 5.48 5.43 5.37
77.5 5.86 5.80 5.74 5.68 5.63 5.57 5.51 5.45
78 5.94 5.88 5.82 5.77 5.71 5.65 5.59 5.53
78.5 6.02 5.96 5.91 5.85 5.79 5.73 5.67 5.62
79 6.10 6.05 5.99 5.93 5.87 5.81 5.76 5.70
79.5 6.19 6.13 6.07 6.01 5.96 5.90 5.84 5.78
80 6.27 6.21 6.15 6.10 6.04 5.98 5.92 5.86
80.5 6.35 6.29 6.24 6.18 6.12 6.06 6.00 5.95
81 6.44 6.38 6.32 6.26 6.20 6.15 6.09 6.03
81.5 6.52 6.46 6.40 6.34 6.29 6.23 6.17 6.11
82 6.60 6.54 6.48 6.43 6.37 6.31 6.25 6.19
82.5 6.68 6.62 6.57 6.51 6.45 6.39 6.33 6.28
83 6.77 6.71 6.65 6.59 6.53 6.48 6.42 6.36
83.5 6.85 6.79 6.73 6.67 6.62 6.56 6.50 6.44
84 6.93 6.87 6.81 6.76 6.70 6.64 6.58 6.52
84.5 7.01 6.95 6.90 6.84 6.78 6.72 6.66 6.61
85 7.10 7.04 6.98 6.92 6.86 6.81 6.75 6.69
Helper 1.3

Try to look to the Pulmonary Diseases' table (a link is available after problem 1.3 assignment).

What kind of a disease is signalized by a reduced Forced Vital Capacity?

Helper 1.4

Try to go back to the text before the problem 1.4, read it carefully again and pay attention to the graph.

What exactly are describing concepts Tidal Volume, Expiratory Reserve Volume, Inspiratory Reserve Volume?

Which parts of our patient's Spirometry curve represent these volumes?

Spirometry curve
Helper 1.5

Try to go back to the text before the problem 1.4 and read it carefully once again.

What Vital capacity should have a healthy man who is 56 years old and 171 centimeters tall?

What percentage of a Vital Capacity should be reached in Tidal Volume for a healthy human?

What percentage of a Vital Capacity should be reached in Expiratory and Inspiratory Reserve Volume?

Helper 1.6

What Vital capacity should have a healthy man who is 56 years old and 171 centimeters tall?

What Tidal Volume, Expiratory Reserve Volume and Inspiratory Reserve Volume should he has?

Try to put these volumes to our patient's spirometry curve?

Forum

We are preparing a new forum for you!

If you have any questions or if you need any help, I will be glad to help you! Please feel free to send me an email (martina.babinska.sk@gmail.com).