PREDICTED VITAL CAPACITY V/S RECORDED VITAL CAPACITY IN STUDENTS OF DESH BHAGAT DENTAL COLLEGE, SRI MUKTSAR SAHIB PUNJAB

Background: This study was aimed to observe the difference between predicted and recorded Vital Capacity in young Punjabi adults. Till date no effort has been made to evaluate vital capacity of young adults in Punjab. Methods: Total 100 students were enrolled for the study. Out of these 100, 77 were female and 23 were male in the age group of 18-20 years. Height of the enrolled subjects varied from 146–183 cm. All the subjects with any history of smoking or respiratory ailment were not enrolled for the study. Vital Capacity was recorded Spiro meter of 9 L capacity. Predicted Vital Capacity was calculated by using the formula based on age and height. Results: A statistically significant (p<0.001) difference between predicted and recorded Vital Capacity for both female and male dental students was observed. In females, recorded Vital Capacity value was 25% less than predicted value, and in male it was 18% less than the predicted value. Conclusion: Vital Capacity is dependent on other factors besides age and height. Therefore recorded values 75–82% of predicted should be considered normal. The incorporation of weight in prediction equation would result in better estimation of Vital Capacity in Punjab India for different age groups.