Class 1 Medical - Lung Function Test

[kirkwoodill]

Hello,

I just went for my first Class 1 examination (also my first aviation examination), and the AME referred me to a medical centre to do my hearing and lung function test (he told me all first time applicants had to do this).

At the medical centre my hearing was fine, dropped off a bit @8000Hz but was otherwise normal. I then had my lung capacity test, and this was my first time using a peak flow meter. I'm 20 and have never smoked, never had any chest infections or asthma and only blew 57% of the predicted reading for FEV1. The reading said my lung age was 24.

However, I'm certain my lung capacity is higher than this, probably not 100% predicted, but definitely higher than 57%. I struggled to get the technique right, and so I went out and bought a basic peak flow meter to practice the technique. My problem at the testing was that I struggled to get a nice firm seal on the mouth piece before blowing in.

I have arranged to meet my AME, is it likely that I will be able to get another go at the lung function test now that I believe I have a better technique, or is the AME more likely to ask me to do something else, or am I likely to fail the Class 1 medical?

Cheers

[Bob the Doc]

kirkwoodill

Lung Function Tests are notoriously difficult to do well. You should have had at least three goes with the machine at the testing centre and only results that are close to each other should be used.

The Peak Flow Meter is not a proper Spirometer and gives different numbers. The two are not interchangeable (although Peak Flow is often used as a crude measure of lung function as it is easy and cheap to do).

It will be interesting to hear what your AME says. The first thing to check is whether you blew 57% of predicted (not great but would be better with correct technique) or whether your FEV1 (Forced Expiratory Volume in one second) is 57% of your FVC (Forced Vital Capacity). Both are measured at the same time. FVC is all the air you blow out in that long sustained expiration. FEV1 is the value on that curve at 1 second. The ratio between one and the other defines the difference between restrictive and obstructive lung disease (its more complicated than that but this is not a text on Respiratory Physiology!).

If your AME says he is refusing a licence on the grounds of the Lung Function Tests then I would ask for a retest on the grounds that you do not think you performed the tests as well as you could have. If he passes you then I wouldn't worry. The tests might have been more accurate than you thought!

HTH

BtD

[kirkwoodill]

Hello,

Thanks for the reply.

I just checked my results - my FEV1 was 57% of predicted for my age and height. My FEV1/FVC was 71%.