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Work of Breathing MeSH Descriptor Data 2025


MeSH Heading
Work of Breathing
Tree Number(s)
E01.370.386.700.975
G09.772.965
Unique ID
D014939
RDF Unique Identifier
http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D014939
Scope Note
RESPIRATORY MUSCLE contraction during INHALATION. The work is accomplished in three phases: LUNG COMPLIANCE work, that required to expand the LUNGS against its elastic forces; tissue resistance work, that required to overcome the viscosity of the lung and chest wall structures; and AIRWAY RESISTANCE work, that required to overcome airway resistance during the movement of air into the lungs. Work of breathing does not refer to expiration, which is entirely a passive process caused by elastic recoil of the lung and chest cage. (Guyton, Textbook of Medical Physiology, 8th ed, p406)
NLM Classification #
WF 102
Previous Indexing
Respiration (1966-1970)
Public MeSH Note
72
History Note
72(71)
Date Established
1972/01/01
Date of Entry
1999/01/01
Revision Date
2013/07/09
Work of Breathing Preferred
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