Measurements of Pulmonary Compliance in Seventy Healthy Young Adults

¹ From the Department of Physiology, Harvard School of Public Health, and the United States Naval Hospital, St. Albans, New York

Measurements of pulmonary compliance were made in 70 healthy young adults during interrupted breathing by the volume-step method. The values apply only to a volume range of from 1.0–1.5 liters beginning at the resting end-expiratory position, in seated individuals. The mean compliance for the group was 0.165±0.049 liters/cm of water, with a range of 0.09– 0.33 liters/cm of water. Within a subject the standard deviation of repeated measurements at a single esophageal level was ±0.015 liters/cm of water; the standard deviation of a combination of measurements from two esophageal levels was ±0.036 liters/cm of water; and the standard deviation of a combination of measurements obtained at the same esophageal level on separate days was ±0.019 liters/cm of water. Compliance showed a positive correlation with height, body surface area, and observed vital capacity, but was poorly correlated with age (range: 18–39 years), and sex. Compliance did not change significantly following voluntary overbreathing in 8 subjects. The values for compliance during interrupted breathing corresponded closely with values obtained in a comparable group during spontaneous breathing.