Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (722 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
The volume of air contained in the lungs at the end of a maximal inspiration. It is the equivalent to each of the following sums: vital capacity plus residual volume; inspiratory capacity plus functional residual capacity; tidal volume plus inspiratory reserve volume plus functional residual capacity; or tidal volume plus inspiratory reserve volume plus expiratory reserve volume plus residual volume.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Lung Capacity, Total; Capacities, Total Lung; Capacity, Total Lung; Lung Capacities, Total; Total Lung Capacities.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Lung Volume Measurements; Respiratory Physiological Phenomena
- Narrower topics
- Closing Volume; Functional Residual Capacity; Vital Capacity
Related concepts
- Vital Capacity
- Residual Volume
- Inspiratory Capacity
- Functional Residual Capacity
- Tidal Volume
- Inspiratory Reserve Volume
- Expiratory Reserve Volume
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 33,907 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Total Lung Capacity” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 4,614 of them (13.6%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 14,188 records.
Reviews account for 1,604 records (4.7%) and meta-analyses for 296. Randomized controlled trials number 3,087 (9.1%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up a comparatively large share of this literature, which means many treatment questions have been tested directly.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 14,188 |
| 2000-2009 | 6,497 |
| 2010-2019 | 8,608 |
| 2020 onward | 4,614 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 1,604 | 4.7% |
| Meta-analyses | 296 | 0.9% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 3,087 | 9.1% |
Method: PubMed query "Total Lung Capacity"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Data on Efficacy and Safety of Nintedanib in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Forced Vital Capacity of ≤50 % of Predicted Value | 2016 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 87 | cc by PMID 27377558 · DOI · PMC5031742 |
| Progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease: prevalence and clinical outcome | 2021 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 60 | cc by PMID 34719401 · DOI · PMC8559348 |
| Driving pressure is not associated with mortality in mechanically ventilated patients without ARDS | 2019 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 39 | cc by PMID 31881909 · DOI · PMC6935179 |
| Real-Time Current Volume Estimation System from an Azure Kinect Camera in Pediatric Intensive Care: Technical Development | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 40431860 · DOI · PMC12115343 |
First Data on Efficacy and Safety of Nintedanib in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Forced Vital Capacity of ≤50 % of Predicted Value [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- In the Phase III INPULSIS(®) trials, 52 weeks' treatment with nintedanib reduced decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) versus placebo in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
- Closing excerpt
- The decline in FVC in INPULSIS(®)-ON in both subgroups by baseline FVC % predicted was similar to that in INPULSIS(®), suggesting that nintedanib may have a similar effect on disease progression in patients with advanced disease as in less advanced disease.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (132 words)
In the Phase III INPULSIS(®) trials, 52 weeks' treatment with nintedanib reduced decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) versus placebo in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Patients who completed the INPULSIS(®) trials could receive nintedanib in an open-label extension trial (INPULSIS(®)-ON). Patients with FVC 50 % predicted at the start of INPULSIS(®)-ON, the absolute mean change in FVC from baseline to week 48 of INPULSIS(®)-ON was -62.3 and -87.9 mL, respectively (n = 24 and n = 558, respectively). No new safety signals were identified in INPULSIS(®)-ON compared with INPULSIS(®). The decline in FVC in INPULSIS(®)-ON in both subgroups by baseline FVC % predicted was similar to that in INPULSIS(®), suggesting that nintedanib may have a similar effect on disease progression in patients with advanced disease as in less advanced disease.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 27377558 · DOI · PMC5031742
Progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease: prevalence and clinical outcome [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundThe progressive fibrosing (PF) phenotype of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is characterised by worsening respiratory symptoms, lung function, and extent of fibrosis on high-resolution computed tomography.
- Closing excerpt
- 053; P ConclusionsOur results showed that approximately 34% of patients with non-IPF fibrosing ILD showed a progressive phenotype and a poor outcome similar to that of IPF, regardless of the diagnostic criteria used.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (203 words)
BackgroundThe progressive fibrosing (PF) phenotype of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is characterised by worsening respiratory symptoms, lung function, and extent of fibrosis on high-resolution computed tomography. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and clinical outcomes of PF-ILD in a real-world cohort and assess the prognostic significance of the PF-ILD diagnostic criteria.MethodsClinical data of patients with fibrosing ILD other than idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) consecutively diagnosed at a single centre were retrospectively reviewed. A PF phenotype was defined based on the criteria used in the INBUILD trial.ResultsThe median follow-up duration was 62.7 months. Of the total of 396 patients, the mean age was 58.1 years, 39.9% were men, and rheumatoid arthritis-ILD was the most common (42.4%). A PF phenotype was identified in 135 patients (34.1%). The PF-ILD group showed lower forced vital capacity and total lung capacity (TLC) than the non-PF-ILD group. The PF-ILD group also showed poorer survival (median survival, 91.2 months vs. not reached; P CO, HRCT pattern, and specific diagnosis, PF phenotype was independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio, 3.053; P ConclusionsOur results showed that approximately 34% of patients with non-IPF fibrosing ILD showed a progressive phenotype and a poor outcome similar to that of IPF, regardless of the diagnostic criteria used.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 34719401 · DOI · PMC8559348
Driving pressure is not associated with mortality in mechanically ventilated patients without ARDS [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundIn patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), low tidal volume ventilation has been associated with reduced mortality.
- Closing excerpt
- 23, p ConclusionsIn a large retrospective analysis of critically ill non-ARDS patients receiving mechanical ventilation, we found that tidal volume was associated with 30-day mortality, while driving pressure was not.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (184 words)
BackgroundIn patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), low tidal volume ventilation has been associated with reduced mortality. Driving pressure (tidal volume normalized to respiratory system compliance) may be an even stronger predictor of ARDS survival than tidal volume. We sought to study whether these associations hold true in acute respiratory failure patients without ARDS.MethodsThis is a retrospectively cohort analysis of mechanically ventilated adult patients admitted to ICUs from 12 hospitals over 2 years. We used natural language processing of chest radiograph reports and data from the electronic medical record to identify patients who had ARDS. We used multivariable logistic regression and generalized linear models to estimate associations between tidal volume, driving pressure, and respiratory system compliance with adjusted 30-day mortality using covariates of Acute Physiology Score (APS), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), age, and PaO2/FiO2 ratio.ResultsWe studied 2641 patients; 48% had ARDS (n = 1273). Patients with ARDS had higher mean APS (25 vs. 23, p ConclusionsIn a large retrospective analysis of critically ill non-ARDS patients receiving mechanical ventilation, we found that tidal volume was associated with 30-day mortality, while driving pressure was not.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 31881909 · DOI · PMC6935179
Real-Time Current Volume Estimation System from an Azure Kinect Camera in Pediatric Intensive Care: Technical Development [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Monitoring respiratory parameters is essential in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), yet bedside tidal volume (Vt) measurement is rarely performed due to the need for invasive airflow sensors.
- Closing excerpt
- Further clinical validation is ongoing.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (203 words)
Monitoring respiratory parameters is essential in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), yet bedside tidal volume (Vt) measurement is rarely performed due to the need for invasive airflow sensors. We present a real-time, non-contact respiratory monitoring system using the Azure Kinect DK (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA) depth camera, specifically designed for use in the PICU. The system automatically tracks thoracic volume variations to derive a comprehensive set of ventilator equivalent parameters: tidal volume, respiratory rate, minute ventilation, inspiratory/expiratory times, I:E ratio, and peak flows. Results are displayed via an ergonomic web interface for clinical use. This system introduces several innovations: real-time estimation of a complete set of respiratory parameters, a novel infrared-based region-of-interest detection method using YOLO-OBBs, enabling robust operation regardless of lighting conditions, even in total darkness, making it ideal for continuous monitoring of sleeping patients, and a pixel-wise 3D volume computation method that achieves a mean absolute error under 5% on tidal volume. The system was evaluated on both a healthy adult (compared to spirometry) and a critically ill child (compared to ventilator data). To our knowledge, this is the first study to validate such a contactless respiratory monitoring system on a non-intubated child in the PICU. Further clinical validation is ongoing.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40431860 · DOI · PMC12115343
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Physiology of obesity and effects on lung function [5]
- Research article Reference values for residual volume, functional residual capacity and total lung capacity. ATS Workshop on Lung Volume Measurements. Official Statement of The European Respiratory Society [6]
- Research article COPD exacerbations: definitions and classifications [7]
- Research article Intraoperative protective mechanical ventilation for prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications: a comprehensive review of the role of tidal volume, positive end-expiratory pressure, and lung recruitment maneuvers [8]
- Research article Meta-analysis of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome trials testing low tidal volumes [9]
- Research article Body plethysmography--its principles and clinical use [10]
References
- Wuyts WA, Kolb M, Stowasser S, Stansen W, Huggins JT, Raghu G. First Data on Efficacy and Safety of Nintedanib in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Forced Vital Capacity of ≤50 % of Predicted Value. . 2016. PMID 27377558 · DOI · PMC5031742
- Kwon BS, Choe J, Chae EJ, Hwang HS, Kim YG, Song JW. Progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease: prevalence and clinical outcome. . 2021. PMID 34719401 · DOI · PMC8559348
- Lanspa MJ, Peltan ID, Jacobs JR, Sorensen JS, Carpenter L, Ferraro JP, et al.. Driving pressure is not associated with mortality in mechanically ventilated patients without ARDS. . 2019. PMID 31881909 · DOI · PMC6935179
- Chavernac F, Albert K, Huy HV, Ramachandran S, Noumeir R, Jouvet P. Real-Time Current Volume Estimation System from an Azure Kinect Camera in Pediatric Intensive Care: Technical Development. . 2025. PMID 40431860 · DOI · PMC12115343
- Salome CM, King GG, Berend N. Physiology of obesity and effects on lung function. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2010. PMID 19875713 · DOI
- Stocks J, Quanjer PH. Reference values for residual volume, functional residual capacity and total lung capacity. ATS Workshop on Lung Volume Measurements. Official Statement of The European Respiratory Society. Eur Respir J. 1995. PMID 7789503 · DOI
- Burge S, Wedzicha JA. COPD exacerbations: definitions and classifications. Eur Respir J Suppl. 2003. PMID 12795331 · DOI
- Güldner A, Kiss T, Serpa Neto A, Hemmes SN, Canet J, Spieth PM, et al.. Intraoperative protective mechanical ventilation for prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications: a comprehensive review of the role of tidal volume, positive end-expiratory pressure, and lung recruitment maneuvers. Anesthesiology. 2015. PMID 26120769 · DOI
- Eichacker PQ, Gerstenberger EP, Banks SM, Cui X, Natanson C. Meta-analysis of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome trials testing low tidal volumes. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002. PMID 12406836 · DOI
- Criée CP, Sorichter S, Smith HJ, Kardos P, Merget R, Heise D, et al.. Body plethysmography--its principles and clinical use. Respir Med. 2011. PMID 21356587 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.