respiratory minute volume

Introduction

• volume of gas inhaled or exhaled from the lungs in one minute
• it is the produce of the tidal volume x respiratory rate

Clinical significance

• parameter useful for the assessment of hypoventilation or hyperventilation
• arterial blood carbonate levels vary inversely with the minute ventilation
• healthy people will alter minute volume in an attempt to maintain physiologic arterial blood carbonate levels
• normal minute volume while resting is ~5-8 liters per minute

More general terms

• clinical laboratory information