Previous volume history of the lung and regional distribution of residual volume

By use of 133Xe, the regional distribution of residual volume (RV) was measured in six seated healthy men, following a fast vital capacity (VC) expiration a) without and b) with a breath hold at residual volume of approximately 30 s and c) following a slow (greater than 30 s) VC expiration from total lung capacity (TLC) without a breath hold at RV. After the breath hold at RV, regional RV/TLC in the lower lung zones decreased significantly compared wih results obtained with fast expiratory VC and no breath hold at RV. At lung top the opposite was true. The distribution of regional RV/TLC was the same following the slow VC expiration with no breath hold at RV as with the fast expiration with the breath hold at RV. The different regional distribution of RV in b and c relative to a was probably due mainly to collateral ventilation, i.e., during the breath hold at RV and the slow expiration some of the gas that was trapped in the dependent lung zones behind closed airways escaped into the upper regions of the lung where the small airways had remained patent, leading to increased expansion of upper alveoli.