Compliance is a measurement of the distensibility of the lung

Compliance of both the chest wall and the lung tissue is known as Total Lung Compliance

Total Lung Compliance = Change in volume / Change in pressure

Static Compliance is the truest measure of the compliance of the lung tissue

It is measured when there are no gases flowing into or out of the lungs

Static Compliance = Exhaled Tidal Volume / (Plateau Pressure-PEEP)

The Plateau Pressure is obtained by instituiting a 2 second inspiratory pause at the peak of inspiration. This pause creates the condition of no gases flowing into the lungs.

This reflects the pressure due to the elastic recoil forces of the lung tissue alone . No pressure resulting from the flow of gases is measured.

Normal value for Static Compliance is 70-100 mL/cm H2O. This means that for every 1 cm H2O pressure change in the lungs , there is a change in volume of 70-100 mL of gas

As Dynamic Compliance is a measurement taken while gases are moving in the lungs , it measures both the Compliance of the lung tissue and the resistance to air flow

It is easier to obtain as it doesn’t require the inspiratory hold maneuver

Dynamic Compliance = Exhaled Tidal Volume / (Peak Inspiratory Pressure-PEEP)

The normal value for Dynamic Compliance is 50-80 mL/cm H2O

Dynamic Compliance measures are always smaller than Static Compliance because Peak Airway Pressure is always greater than Plateau Pressure

A decrease in Dynamic Compliance may indicate a decrease in lung compliance or an increase in airway resistance.