Question

your patient has below normal airflow out of the lungs, yet a normal value for vital capacity. which of the below listed may be the underlying cause?
multiple choice
drinking alcohol
lung fibrosis
asthma
degenerative muscle disease

Explanation:

• Drinking alcohol: Generally does not directly cause reduced airflow with normal vital capacity. It may have other systemic effects but not this specific respiratory pattern.
• Lung fibrosis: Usually leads to a restrictive pattern where vital capacity is decreased (as the lungs become stiff and cannot expand properly), so it is not the cause.
• Asthma: Characterized by airway constriction. During an asthma attack (or in a state of airway hyper - responsiveness), there is reduced airflow (due to narrowed airways) but the vital capacity (the maximum amount of air that can be exhaled after a maximum inhalation) can be normal (as the lung tissue itself is not destroyed in a way that would reduce the total volume that can be moved in and out with a full breath, at least in the early stages or between severe exacerbations).
• Degenerative muscle disease: Affects the muscles involved in breathing (e.g., diaphragm, intercostal muscles). This would lead to a problem with the ability to generate the force for inhalation and exhalation. A restrictive pattern (reduced vital capacity) is more likely as the muscles cannot move the lungs to their full potential volume.

Answer:

asthma