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Multiple Choice

Minute ventilation is defined as which of the following?

Minute ventilation is the total air moved in and out of the lungs per minute. It’s found by multiplying the air moved per breath (tidal volume) by how many breaths occur each minute (respiratory rate). The result is expressed in milliliters per minute (or liters per minute). For example, a tidal volume of 500 ml with a respiratory rate of 12 breaths per minute equals 500 × 12 = 6000 ml/min (about 6 L/min). Tidal volume alone is the amount of air per breath and tells you nothing about how often you breathe; respiratory rate alone is how often you breathe per minute and tells you nothing about the amount of air per breath. Oxygen consumption measures metabolic use of oxygen, not ventilation. By combining both volume and rate, minute ventilation reflects the total air the lungs handle each minute. (Note: this includes air that fills the airways without gas exchange; alveolar ventilation would be slightly less, accounting for dead space.)

Minute ventilation is the total air moved in and out of the lungs per minute. It’s found by multiplying the air moved per breath (tidal volume) by how many breaths occur each minute (respiratory rate). The result is expressed in milliliters per minute (or liters per minute). For example, a tidal volume of 500 ml with a respiratory rate of 12 breaths per minute equals 500 × 12 = 6000 ml/min (about 6 L/min). Tidal volume alone is the amount of air per breath and tells you nothing about how often you breathe; respiratory rate alone is how often you breathe per minute and tells you nothing about the amount of air per breath. Oxygen consumption measures metabolic use of oxygen, not ventilation. By combining both volume and rate, minute ventilation reflects the total air the lungs handle each minute. (Note: this includes air that fills the airways without gas exchange; alveolar ventilation would be slightly less, accounting for dead space.)