3. Ventilation Flashcards
How do normothermic ex vivo ventilated perfused lungs behave differently to in vivo?
- No restriction by chest wall
* Expand freely
What are the definitions of the following: • minute ventilation • respiratory rate • alveolar ventilation • anatomical dead space • alveolar dead space • physiological dead space
- Minute ventilation - volume of air expired in one minute
- Respiratory rate - frequency of breathing per minute
- Alveolar ventilation - volume of air reaching the respiratory zone
- Anatomical dead space - capacity of the airways incapable of undertaking gas exchange
- Alveolar dead space - capacity of the airways that should be able to undertake gas exchange but cannot
- Physiological dead space - anatomical + alveolar dead space
What are the definitions of the following: • Hyperpnoea • Hypopnoea • Apnoea • Dyspnoea • Bradypnoea • Tachypnoea • Orthopnoea
- Hyperpnoea - increased depth of breathing
- Hypopnoea - decreased depth of breathing
- Apnoea - cessation of breathing
- Dyspnoea - difficulty in breathing (shortness of breath)
- Bradypnoea - abnormally slow breathing rate
- Tachypnoea - abnormally fast breathing rate
- Orthopnoea - positional difficulty in breathing (when lying down)
What are the 2 components of the chest wall?
- Bone + muscle + fibrous tissue (tend to recoil out)
- Lungs (tend to recoil in)
(muscular effort needed to push equilibrium in one direction or the other)
What is the functional residual capacity (FRC)?
- Rib cage and lungs in equilibrium
* End of tidal expiration
Describe the pleural cavity volume and pressure
• Fixed volume • Negative pressure - between lungs and chest wall - expanding chest pulls the lung - negative pressure of pleural cavity allows this
What happens to the lung/chest wall equilibrium if either is punctured?
- Fixed volume pleura is compromised
- Air fills the pleural cavity
- Elastic recoil
- Lungs collapse (pneumothorax)
- Haemothorax is much slower (blood filling the pleural cavity)
What are the definitions of the following: • Tidal volume • Inspiratory Reserve Volume • Expiratory Reserve Volume • Reserve volume
- Tidal volume - volume of air inspired and expired to meet the metabolic demands of the body (500mL in 70kg man)
- Inspiratory Reserve Volume - the maximum volume of air that can be inspired after a tidal inspiration
- Expiratory Reserve Volume - the maximum volume of air that can be expired after a tidal expiration
- Reserve volume - residual volume of the lung that you cannot get rid of
(all change in volumes)
Why is it bad to empty the lungs fully?
- Due to the surfactant in the alveoli
* This could cause the alveoli to stick together and not reopen
What are the definitions of the following: • Total Lung Capacity • Vital Capacity • Functional Residual Capacity • Inspiratory Capacity
- Total Lung Capacity - the volume of air in the lungs when you inspire as much as possible (everything combined)
- Vital Capacity - how much air is within the confines of what we are able to inspire and expire (TLC - RV)
- Functional Residual Capacity - the volume of air present in the lungs at the end of passive expiration (equilibrium, ERV + RV)
- Inspiratory Capacity - how much extra air you can take in on top of the FRC (TV + IRV)
(all from 0 to a certain number i.e. include residual volume)
What factors in a person contribute to their lung volumes?
- Height (most influential)
- Body shape
- Sex (male > female generally)
- Age (chronological and physical)
- Genetics
- Fitness (mainly innate, some training)
- Disease (pulmonary/neurological)
What units are used for pressures in the lungs?
cm H2O
What is a transmural pressure?
Pressure across a tissue or several tissues
What is a transpulmonary pressure?
Difference between alveolar and intrapleural pressure
How do you work out the orientation of the pressure gradient?
Pressure inside minus pressure outside