FEV1/FVC
Medical abbreviation · Respiratory
| Stands for | Ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
FEV1/FVC stands for Ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity, a respiratory abbreviation.
Proportion of the total exhaled breath that is blown out in the first second, the key spirometric value for detecting airflow obstruction. Healthy adults exhale roughly 70 to 85 percent in the first second, with values falling gradually with age.
Example: Post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC 0.62 confirms persistent airflow obstruction consistent with COPD.
Usage notes
GOLD uses a fixed post-bronchodilator ratio below 0.70 to diagnose COPD, while ATS/ERS interpretation standards prefer a value below the lower limit of normal, which avoids overdiagnosis in older adults and underdiagnosis in the young. Also called the Tiffeneau-Pinelli index after the physicians who described it in the 1940s. A low ratio with low FVC suggests mixed disease, confirmed with lung volumes.
Related abbreviations
More respiratory abbreviations
- DLCO – Diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide
- EBUS – Endobronchial ultrasound
- EIB – Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction
- ESS – Epworth Sleepiness Scale
- FeNO – Fractional exhaled nitric oxide
- FEV1 – Forced expiratory volume in 1 second
- FiO2 – Fraction of inspired oxygen
- FRC – Functional residual capacity
- FVC – Forced vital capacity
- GGO – Ground-glass opacity
- GINA – Global Initiative for Asthma
- GOLD – Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease
See all 109 respiratory abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.