In older patients, findings of increased total lung capacity and residual volume may indicate which condition?

Increased total lung capacity and residual volume in older patients are significant indicators of emphysema, which is a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Emphysema occurs due to the destruction of the alveoli, which decreases the elastic recoil of the lungs. This destruction leads to air trapping, resulting in increased residual volume and total lung capacity as patients struggle to exhale completely.

While COPD encompasses both emphysema and chronic bronchitis, the specific pulmonary function finding of increased total lung capacity and residual volume is most closely associated with emphysema. Chronic bronchitis typically presents with different pulmonary function test findings, such as a decrease in expiratory flow rates, rather than changes in lung volumes exclusively. Asthma can also cause increased lung volumes during exacerbations or trends of air trapping but is usually characterized by variable obstruction and not isolated volume increases like in emphysema.

Therefore, recognizing the relationship between emphysema and the increase in total lung capacity and residual volume is crucial in diagnosing this condition in older adults.