Airway Clearance - Pathophysiology Flashcards
What is the difference between mucus and sputum?
Sputum is mucus from the respiratory tract outside the body (aka phlegm)
What is the normal level of airway mucus?
10-100mL mucus produced each day by submucosal glands, goblet cells, clara cells and tissue fluid exudate
What is the function of mucus?
- Mechanical barrier trapping particles
- Chemical screen (filter/diffusion)
- Biological barrier (bacterial adhesion/clearance)
- Airway hydration
What are the characteristics of mucus?
- Normally white/clear (mucoid)
- Altered colour indicates infection
- Smell (normally none)
- Thickness/viscosity
- Adhesivity
- Amount
What is the only illness that will produce pink, frothy sputum?
Pulmonary oedema
Where are goblet cells located?
In the epithelium of the mucosal layer (make up 10% of epithelium in proximal airways, decrease in number in peripheral airways)
What happens to goblet cells in COPD?
Increased number, extending peripherally
How can the structure of the alveolar region be described?
A pocket of air surrounded by a thin membrane
What channels connect the bronchioles and alveoli?
Pores of Kohn: Connect adjacent alveoli
Canals of Lambert: Connect terminal bronchioles
Inter-segmental respiratory bronchioles
What are the 4 mechanisms of airway clearance?
- Alveolar clearance: Removes insoluble particles
- Two phase flow: Airway narrowing on expiration create shear force that moves mucus towards the mouth
- Mucociliary clearance (MCC): Clears conducting airways
- Cough: Backup system when MCC fails
What 2 mechanisms of airway clearance can we influence?
MCC and cough
What cells clear the respiratory tract?
Ciliated cells of the periciliary (sol) layer of the mucosa (carry out mucociliary clearance)
Why is the depth of the periciliary (sol) layer important?
So the cilia can function correctly and move the mucus along the airways
What do the cilia use to move the mucus/particles?
Mucus blanket
What does the speed of MCC depend on?
Airway generation (fast movement in central airways)
What happens if the airways are not adequately hydrated?
The cilia cannot carry out their function
What is the mucus blanket composed of?
95% water, 1% salts, 4% lipids, foreign particles, cellular debris
In cystic fibrosis, what does the mucus blanket also contain?
DNA
How does the airway surface fluid (ASF) differ between healthy people and CF/infected patients?
Healthy: ASF is hypotonic
CF/infected: ASF is isotonic (dehydrated airway mucus secretions)
What are the factors that affect MCC?
**Exam Q!
- Age (slows in elderly)
- Sleep (decreases)
- Hairspray (decreases)
- Posture (gravity increases MCC if MCC impaired)
- Exercise (increases)
- Pollutants
- Smoking (variable)
- Medications
- Disease
In chronic bronchitis, what percentage does cough increase sputum clearance by?
20% (compared to 2.5% increase in healthy people)
What are the 4 steps of a quality cough?
**Need to know
- Inspiration of volume of air
- Glottis closed (opening btwn vocal cords)
- Simultaneous contraction of expiratory muscles resulting in large increase in intrathoracic pressure
- Glottis is open, rapid expiratory flow of air
Why is a deep breath important for an effective cough?
- More areas of lung receive ventilation
- Greater elastic recoil pressure of lungs
- Muscles at better position (length/tension relationship)
- Changes equal pressure point within airways
Where is the equal pressure point (EPP)?
- Located around the level of the trachea at high lung volumes
- Moves peripherally as lung volume decreases
