Question

What is the condition when someone is very severe and has FEV1 less than 30?

1) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
2) Asthma
3) Pneumonia
4) D. Tuberculosis

Answer 1

An FEV1 less than 30% typically indicates a very severe case of COPD, an obstructive lung disease where the FEV1/FVC ratio is significantly reduced due to blocked airflow and reduced alveoli elasticity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The condition where someone has a Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1) less than 30% usually indicates that the person has a very severe case of an obstructive lung disease, which is likely to be Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD is characterized by a chronic obstruction of airflow that interferes with normal breathing and is not fully reversible. The FEV1/FVC ratio, which is the proportion of a person's vital capacity that they can exhale in the first second of forced expiration to the full, forced vital capacity (FVC), would be significantly reduced in obstructive lung diseases like COPD. Those with a FEV1/FVC ratio of less than 70% typically have COPD, confirmed via spirometry tests. FEV1 is an important measurement used to assess the severity of obstructive lung diseases and is a critical indicator in diagnosing such issues as COPD. Due to destroyed connective tissues and reduced elasticity in the alveoli, patients with COPD often cannot fully exhale air from their lungs, leading to air being trapped in the lungs which exacerbates breathing difficulties.