When calculating Vital Capacity pulmonary volume, the Residual volume is not included.
1. Vital Capacity is the maximum amount of air a person can expel from the lungs after a maximum inhalation.
2. To calculate Vital Capacity, you would add three pulmonary volumes together:
a. Inspiratory Reserve Volume: the additional air you can inhale beyond a normal breath.
b. Tidal Volume: the amount of air exchanged during normal breathing.
c. Expiratory Reserve Volume: the extra air you can forcibly exhale after a normal exhalation.
3. Residual Volume, however, is the air that remains in the lungs even after forceful exhalation and is not part of the Vital Capacity calculation.
By excluding the Residual Volume from the calculation, you can accurately determine the Vital Capacity, which is an important measure of lung function.
