The nurse is planning to use a respiratory spirometer to measure the amount of air that moves in and out of a patient's lungs with each normal breath.How will the nurse document the results of this test?
A)Tidal volume
B)Vital capacity
C)Forced expiratory volume
D)Minute ventilation

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Tidal volume is the amount of air that moves in and out of the lungs during a normal breath. This is exactly what the nurse is measuring with the respiratory spirometer. Vital capacity is the total amount of air that can be exhaled after taking a deep breath, forced expiratory volume is the amount of air exhaled forcefully during the first second of exhalation, and minute ventilation is the total amount of air moved into and out of the lungs in one minute. These measurements are not specifically related to a single normal breath, so they are not the best choice for documenting the results of this test.

The Nurse Is Planning to Use a Respiratory Spirometer to Measure