capacity
[kah-pas´ĭ-te]the power to hold, retain, or contain, or the ability to absorb; usually expressed numerically as the measure of such ability.
closing capacity (CC) the volume of gas in the lungs at the time of airway closure, the sum of the closing volume and the residual volume. See also closing volume.
decreased intracranial adaptive capacity a nursing diagnosis accepted by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, defined as the state in which intracranial fluid dynamic mechanisms that normally compensate for increases in intracranial volumes are compromised, resulting in repeated disproportionate increases in intracranial pressure in response to a variety of noxious and nonnoxious stimuli.
diffusing capacity see diffusing capacity.
forced vital capacity the maximal volume of gas that can be exhaled from full inhalation by exhaling as forcefully and rapidly as possible. See also pulmonary function tests.
functional residual capacity the amount of gas remaining at the end of normal quiet respiration.
heat capacity the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a specific quantity of a substance by one degree Celsius.
inspiratory capacity the volume of gas that can be taken into the lungs in a full inhalation, starting from the resting inspiratory position; equal to the tidal volume plus the inspiratory reserve volume.
maximal breathing capacity maximum voluntary ventilation.
thermal capacity heat capacity.
total lung capacity the amount of gas contained in the lung at the end of a maximal inhalation.
Subdivisions of total lung capacity: TLC, total lung capacity; V, tidal volume; IC, inspiratory capacity; FRC, functional residual capacity; ERV, expiratory reserve volume; VC, vital capacity; RV, residual volume. From Dorland's, 2000.
virus neutralizing capacity the ability of a serum to inhibit the infectivity of a virus.
vital capacity (VC) see vital capacity.
vital
[vi´tal]pertaining to life; necessary to life.
vital capacity (VC) the greatest volume of gas that, following maximum inhalation, can be expelled during a complete, slow, forced exhalation; equal to inspiratory capacity plus expiratory reserve volume.
Forced vital capacity (FVC) is the greatest volume of air that can be expelled when a person performs a rapid, forced exhalation, which usually takes about five seconds. The greatest volume of air a person can exhale during one, two, three, or more seconds of forced exhalation is called the forced expiratory volume (FEV). A subscript is added to the abbreviation FEV to indicate the phase during which the particular amount or volume of air is exhaled. A volume exhaled during the first second is designated FEV1.0, a volume exhaled during the first two seconds is designated FEV2.0, and so on. The rate at which a specified volume of air is exhaled during a forced exhalation is called forced expiratory flow (FEF). The rate at which air is exhaled from a forced expiratory volume of 200 mL to one of 1200 mL is designated FEF200–1200 (formerly called maximal expiratory flow, MEF); the rate from 25 to 75 per cent of the forced vital capacity is designated FEF25–75% (formerly called maximal midexpiratory flow, MMF).
Laboratory values for vital capacity, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume, and forced expiratory flow are usually reported both as absolute values and as statistically derived predicted values based on the age, sex, and height of a patient. The statistical value is reported as a percentage. See also pulmonary function tests.
Forced vital capacity (FVC) is the greatest volume of air that can be expelled when a person performs a rapid, forced exhalation, which usually takes about five seconds. The greatest volume of air a person can exhale during one, two, three, or more seconds of forced exhalation is called the forced expiratory volume (FEV). A subscript is added to the abbreviation FEV to indicate the phase during which the particular amount or volume of air is exhaled. A volume exhaled during the first second is designated FEV1.0, a volume exhaled during the first two seconds is designated FEV2.0, and so on. The rate at which a specified volume of air is exhaled during a forced exhalation is called forced expiratory flow (FEF). The rate at which air is exhaled from a forced expiratory volume of 200 mL to one of 1200 mL is designated FEF200–1200 (formerly called maximal expiratory flow, MEF); the rate from 25 to 75 per cent of the forced vital capacity is designated FEF25–75% (formerly called maximal midexpiratory flow, MMF).
Laboratory values for vital capacity, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume, and forced expiratory flow are usually reported both as absolute values and as statistically derived predicted values based on the age, sex, and height of a patient. The statistical value is reported as a percentage. See also pulmonary function tests.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
vi·tal ca·pac·i·ty (VC),
the greatest volume of air that can be exhaled from the lungs after a maximum inspiration.
Synonym(s): respiratory capacity
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
vital capacity
n.
The amount of air that can be forcibly expelled from the lungs after breathing in as deeply as possible.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
vital capacity
Lung physiology The volume of air exhaled by a maxium expiration after a maxium inspiration. See Lung volumes. Cf Total lung capacity.McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
vi·tal ca·pa·ci·ty
(VC) (vī'tăl kă-pas'i-tē)The greatest volume of air that can be exhaled from the lungs after a maximum inspiration.
Synonym(s): respiratory capacity.
Synonym(s): respiratory capacity.
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012
vital capacity
The volume of air that can be expelled from the lungs by a full effort following a maximal inspiration.Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005
)
Fig. 316 Vital capacity . The vital capacity of an adult man at rest.
vital capacity
the total amount of air that can be expired after a maximum inspiration (deep breath). This is calculated as the sum of:- (a) the tidal volume, the amount of air taken in with a normal breath.
- (b) the inspiratory reserve volume, the amount of air which can still be taken in after a normal breath.
- (c) the expiratory reserve volume, the amount of air which can be expelled after breathing out normally.
Typical results from an adult man at rest are shown in Fig. 316. Thus the vital capacity of a normal man is between 3.5 and 4.5 dm3, but can reach 6.0 dm3 in a trained athlete.
Collins Dictionary of Biology, 3rd ed. © W. G. Hale, V. A. Saunders, J. P. Margham 2005
Vital capacity (VC)
The largest amount of air expelled after one's deepest inhalation.
Mentioned in: Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
vi·tal ca·pa·ci·ty
(VC) (vī'tăl kă-pas'i-tē)The greatest volume of air that can be exhaled from the lungs after a maximum inspiration.
Synonym(s): respiratory capacity.
Synonym(s): respiratory capacity.
Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions © Farlex 2012