7. Breathlessness and Control of Breathing Flashcards
What is most important function of the respiratory muscles?
Maintain arterial pH
What does breathing out rely on?
The elasticity of the lung and chest wall - This is a passive process
Therefore only breathing in counts towards respiration
Give the equation for Minute ventilation
V.E = VT x f
Minute ventilation = tidal volume x frequency
What does VT mean?
Tidal volume
What does V.E mean?
Minute ventilation
What is TTOT?
Duration of single respiratory cycle
What can TTOT be split into?
Inspiratory and expiratory
Define VT/TI
Mean inspiratory flow and shows how powerfully the muscles contract. This is called the neural drive
Define TI/TTOT
Inspiratory duty cycle - shows the proportion of the cycle actively ventilating (inspiring)
What happens in terms of VT, TI and TTOT when metabolic demands increase?
Increase in ventilation so - increase in VT/TI and decrease in TTOT hence there is an increase in frequency
What is normal tidal volume?
0.5L
What happens in terms of VT, V.E, VT/TI and frequency when artificial dead space is added?
The VT, V.E, VT/TI and frequency increases. The neural drive increases due to a need to satisfy more ventilation
How does chronic bronchitis and emphysema affect ventilation?
Narrows intrathoracic airways making expiration more difficult than inspiration. There is higher RV increasing the stiffness of the chest, hence increasing the work of breathing
What is the VT/TI of people with COPD?
They do not breathe any harder, as VT/TI is more or less the same
How do people with COPD breathe?
They take shorter an shallower breaths
How does shorter and shallower breathes affect the TV and TTOT?
The TV and TTOT decreases
How does exercise affect the TTOT?
It halves the TTOT hence doubling the frequency
In a healthy person how does the TI/TTOT change when exercising?
It increases - more time for inspiration
In a person with COPD how does the TI/TTOT change when exercising?
It decreases - more time for expiration as they have difficulty expiring
What controls involuntary breathing/metabolic centre?
Medulla (bulbo-pontine brain)
What controls voluntary breathing/behavioural centre?
Motor area of cerebral cortex
What centre will always override the other in terms of control of breathing?
The metabolic will always override the behavioural
What is the main driver of breathing?
Diaphragm
Where is the metabolic centre situated?
In the brain stem in the bulbopontine region
Where are the behavioural components situated?
Scattered throughout the mid and upper parts of the brain
What does the metabolic centre respond to?
Metabolic demands and production of CO2
What receptor lies in the metabolic controller?
H+ ion receptor
What nerves move the chest wall?
Phrenic nerves in the cervical region of the upper spinal cord