Certified Pulmonary Function Technologist (CPFT) Practice Exam 2025 – Complete All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

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What condition may result in a normal FEV1/FVC ratio with reduced overall lung volumes?

Obstructive lung disease

Asthma

Restrictive lung disease

The condition that results in a normal FEV1/FVC ratio with reduced overall lung volumes is restrictive lung disease. In restrictive lung disease, the total volume of air in the lungs is decreased, which leads to a reduction in both the forced vital capacity (FVC) and the forced expiratory volume (FEV1). However, because both values are reduced proportionally, the FEV1/FVC ratio remains within normal limits, often close to 0.7 or greater.

This contrasts with obstructive lung diseases, where the FEV1 is reduced significantly more than the FVC, resulting in a decreased FEV1/FVC ratio. It's also distinct from conditions like asthma or chronic bronchitis, where airway obstruction leads to decreased FEV1 while FVC may remain normal or only slightly reduced, thus lowering the FEV1/FVC ratio. Therefore, the hallmark of restrictive lung disease is the normal FEV1/FVC with a decrease in lung volumes, highlighting the difference in lung mechanics compared to obstructive conditions.

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Chronic bronchitis

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