Deck · USMLE Step 1
Respiratory
Pulmonary physiology and acid-base, obstructive and restrictive disease, vascular and infectious lung disease, neoplasms, and respiratory pharmacology.
90 cards · audited · SM-2 spaced repetition
Included with the full USMLE Step 1 program — 14 decks, 1,546 cards.
Sample cards
What is tidal volume (TV)?
The volume of air moved into or out of the lungs during a single normal quiet breath, approximately 500 mL in an average adult.
What is residual volume (RV), and why can it not be measured by spirometry?
The air remaining in the lungs after a maximal expiration. Spirometry cannot measure it because this air is never exhaled; it requires body plethysmography or helium dilution.
What is functional residual capacity (FRC) and what does it represent physiologically?
FRC = ERV + RV; it is the lung volume at the end of a normal passive expiration, where the inward elastic recoil of the lung balances the outward recoil of the chest wall.
What is vital capacity (VC)?
VC = TV + IRV + ERV — the maximum volume of air that can be exhaled after a maximal inspiration. It equals TLC minus RV.
How is physiologic dead space calculated (Bohr equation concept)?
VD = VT × (PaCO2 − PeCO2)/PaCO2, where PeCO2 is expired CO2. It estimates the volume of inspired air that does not participate in gas exchange (anatomic + functional dead space).
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