1: Pulmonary Volumes And Capacities

Question 1

Physiologic unit of the lung

Answer 1

Alveolar-capillary unit

Question 2

Path from trachea to alveoli

Answer 2

1. Trachea
2. Bronchi
3. Bronchioles
4. Terminal bronchioles
5. Respiratory bronchioles
6. Alveolar ducts
7. Alveolar sacs
8. Alveoli

Question 3

What happens to tidal volume during exercise?

Answer 3

Increases

Question 4

Normal resting tidal volume

Answer 4

500 ml

Question 5

What one volume cannot be measured by spirometry

Answer 5

Residual volume

Question 6

What respiratory volume requires activation of expiratory muscles (active respiration)

Answer 6

Expiratory reserve volume

Question 7

Two major capacities impacted by disease

Answer 7

TLC, VC

Question 8

What happens to seated vs supine volumes in obese individuals

Answer 8

Seated and supine numbers become very similar

Question 9

What type of lung disease is emphysema

Answer 9

Obstructive lung disease

Question 10

Describe emphysema

Answer 10

Destruction of alveoli -> limits airflow, hard to push air out; lungs more like trashbags than balloons

Question 11

What type of lung disease is fibrosis

Answer 11

Restrictive lung disease

Question 12

Describe fibrosis

Answer 12

Thickening of tissue between alveoli -> reduced expansion of lungs, hard to inflate lungs

Question 13

Three ways to measure residual volume

Answer 13

1. Helium dilution
2. Body plethysmography
3. Nitrogen washout technique

Question 14

Helium dilution

Answer 14

Inhalation of a known concentration of helium -> change in concentration allows for determination of FRC, from which you can calculate RV

Question 15

Body plethysmography

Answer 15

Enclosed in a rigid box, one breathes against a shutter and the pressure in the lungs change -> pressure in box changes proportionally in opposite direction

Question 16

Nitrogen washout technique

Answer 16

Individual breaths in 100% O2 through 1 way valve -> all expired gas is collected and monitored until N2 reaches 0