Airway Clearance Flashcards
1
Q
How does airway clearance work?
A
- Collateral ventilation
- Interdependence
- Pendelluft
- Expiratory flow bias
- Enhances oscillatory effect
2
Q
If airways are blocked, what allows air to move (in order to minimise airway collapse)?
A
Collateral Ventilation
3
Q
What is Pendelluft?
A
The movement of air between areas of differing compliance or resistance
(If one area of lung has greater resistance than the other it will take longer to fill, e.g. asthma, ARDS)
4
Q
What does oscillation do?
A
- Improve mucus rheology (i.e. flow)
- Improve expiratory airflow bias
- Create shearing forces which move mucus off the airway walls
5
Q
What is interdependence?
A
If tidal volume is increased during inspiration expanding alveoli will exert a traction force on the surrounding alveoli
6
Q
How does interdependence help?
A
Helps to re-expand surrounding alveoli that have collapsed surrounding alveoli that have collapsed
