A patient has a predicted FVC of 6.5 L and a measured FVC of 5.2 L. What is the % predicted for this test?

To calculate the % predicted for the forced vital capacity (FVC), you need to use the formula:

% predicted FVC = (measured FVC / predicted FVC) x 100.

In this case, the measured FVC is 5.2 L and the predicted FVC is 6.5 L.

Using the formula, the calculation would be:

% predicted FVC = (5.2 L / 6.5 L) x 100 = 0.8 x 100 = 80%.

This indicates that the patient's measured FVC is 80% of the predicted value, which provides important insight into their lung function. A % predicted FVC of 80% suggests that the patient has a moderate reduction in their lung capacity, and in the context of pulmonary function testing, this could indicate a potential restrictive lung disease or a decline in lung function.