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Ventilatory function in healthy adult Nigerians.

SUMMARY 1. Static and dynamic lung volumes (yC, FEV lo FRC, ERV, RV and TLC) have been determined in 291 adult healthy Nigerians (174 males and 117 females). 2. Prediction formulae of various authors on Caucasians and South African Bantu have been applied to the Nigerian data. The results show significantly smaller VC, FEV 1 , FRC, RV, TLC and RV/TLC in Nigerians than in Caucasians. The VC, FEV 1 and FRC of Nigerians were similar to those of South African Bantu. 3. ERV values were similar to those previously reported by other authors for Caucasians. The combination of lower RV values and similar ERV indicates the possibility of less 'basal airway closure' in Nigerians. Several investigators have shown the lung volumes of Africans and peoples of African descent to be significantly less than the values for Caucasians when standardized for age and height (Smillie & Augustine, 1926; Roberts & Crabtree, 1927; Gilson, Stott, Hopwood, Roach, McKerrow & Schilling, 1962; Abramowitz, Leiner, Lewis & Small, 1965; Johannsen & Erasmus, 1968; Hearn, 1968; Oduntan, 1970). Other racial groups also shown to have lower lung volumes compared with Caucasians include Chinese (Foster, 1924), Indians (Rao, Gupta Sen, Saha & Devi Sita, 1961; Cotes & Malhotra, 1965; Bhattacharya & Banerjee, 1966) and Maoris (Glass, 1962). These findings support the need for each racial or ethnic group to have its own 'normal' standards of pulmonary function. The aim of the present study was to establish 'normal' values for ventilatory functions in Nigerians. A sample of 291 healthy Nigerian adults were studied. All the sub-divisions of total lung capacity were compared with values predicted by formulae previously derived by other authors for Caucasians and for South African Bantu. Whereas the lung volumes of Nigerians are very similar to those ofSouth African Bantu, the present study confirms the differences previously reported by other workers between the lung • This paper forms part of a thesis approved by the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, for the M.D. degree. Correspondence: Dr D. Femi-Pearse, Cardiothoracic Research Laboratory, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Private Mail Bag 12003, Lagos, Nigeria.