Volume 50, 221-230, 2001:

MINIREVIEW


Hyperinflation: Control of Functional Residual Lung Capacity

F. PALEČEK

Institute of Pathophysiology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Received August 8, 2000
Accepted October 17, 2000


Summary
Hyperinflation is the consequence of a dysbalance of static forces (determining the relaxation volume) and/or of the dynamic components. The relaxation volume is determined by an equilibrium between the elastic recoil of the lungs and of the chest walls. The dynamic components include the pattern of breathing, upper airway resistance and postinspiratory activity of inspiratory muscles. The respiratory and laryngeal muscles are under control and thus both static and dynamic hyperinflation can be secured. Our knowledge of the mechanism of increased FRC is based on clinical observations and on experiments. The most frequent stimuli leading to a dynamic increase of functional residual lung capacity (FRC) include hypoxia and vagus afferentation. Regulation of FRC is still and undetermined concept. The controlled increase of FRC, hyperinflation, participates in a number of lung diseases.


Key words
Functional residual activity · Hyperinflation · Control of breathing

Reprint requests
Prof. F. Paleček, Institute of Pathophysiology, Second Medical Faculty, Plzeňská 130, 150 00 Prague 5, Czech Republic, tel., fax: +4202 311 0568, e-mail: F.Palecek@lf2.cuni.cz

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
© 2001 by the Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences

ISSN 0862 - 8408

Issue 3