AP II Unit 3 Flashcards
During a fowler test you measure about 125 cc of pure oxygen before nitrogen shows up. The nitrogen plateau is reached after another 200 cc. What is the anatomical dead space volume?
225 CC
During the flow volume loop, when does effort dependence no longer apply?
During expiration as you approach FRC; at this point enough small airways have collapsed and alveoli are smaller, which means that increased effort will not increase expiratory flow rate as the narrow airways have become rate-limiting and switch from effort dependence to effort independence
If healthy, what is the maximal inspiratory and expiratory flow rate?
Both are 10 L/min
Do the numbers on the x-axis of the flow volume loop matter?
No, they are arbitrary. What matters is the distance between them.
How would you measure VC on a flow volume loop?
It’s the difference between RV (point on the right) and TLC (point on the left)
What indicates effort on the flow volume loop?
The loop with the greatest curve = the greatest effort, the loop with the smallest curve = the least effort.
The flow volume loop shown in lecture has one flaw, what is it?
The time axis is not adequately shown. Based on that graph, it looks like all the loops end at the same point in time, which we know is not correct. If you have 5 L in the lung, and expire at either 10 L/s or 1L/s, it’s obvious 10 L/s would empty faster than 1. You have to infer this detail from the graph.
What part of the flow volume loop is symmetrical? Which is not?
Inspiration = symmetrical
Expiration = asymmetrical
Why is expiration not symmetrical on the flow volume loop when expiring from TLC?
At TLC, the alveoli are wide open and the airways are wide open = very fast flow rate. As you expire, volumes decrease and airways begin to collapse increasing resistance and rate-limiting how fast we can expire
What are the factors that dictate flow rate of the flow volume loop?
Diameter of the airway, elastic recoil and traction
What kind of flow would you expect with little recoil and little traction?
High chance of airway collapse and increased resistance = slower flow rate
What kind of flow rate would you expect with lots of recoil and traction?
Assuming the alveoli/airways are open = faster flow rate
In an expiratory flow function curve, which curve should mimic the normal curve? Which one does not?
Restrictive looks similar to a normal one, obstructive has a distinctive shark fin appear
Why is expiratory flow rate slower in obstructive disease?
The lungs fill up more but have less elastic recoil, and as you apply PIP, airways can collapse limiting the expiratory flow rate
Why is expiratory flow rate slower in restrictive disease?
The lungs do have more elastic recoil, but they don’t fill up as much, meaning the alveoli are less full which means the airway is narrower and therefore more likely to collapse with increasing PIP
Why is the prolonged expiration bad in obstructive lung disease?
It takes so long to expire, that by the time you need to start inspiration, you haven’t fully expired
When would effort independence start in obstructive lung disease?
It would begin much earlier in obstructive, well before you get close to FRC
Relying solely on recoil pressure to exhale is what kind of breathing?
Passive expiration
When is there no risk of airway collapse?
As long as the internal pressure is higher than PIP
During maximal expiration, there is massive + pressure outside the airways. Why do airways superior to the small airways not collapse despite the fact the pressure inside them is significantly lower than the PIP?
They have cartilage that reinforces them to withstand the extra + pressure
What are the 3 factors that slow expiratory rate during maximal expiration?
Loss of alveolar springs that create recoil, loss of lung volume and loss of small airway traction
In general, what lung pathology is more common to encouter?
Obstructive
In general, is fast or slow expiration indicative of disease?
Slow
What is the formula for resistance in series? Conductance?
Rtotal = R1 + R2
1 / Ctotal = (1 / C1) + (1 / C2)
What is the formula for resistance in parallel? Conductance?
1 / Rtotal = (1 / R1) + (1 / R2)
Ctotal = C1 + C2
What would be the formula for resistance and conductance for the lungs and chest wall?
They are both impediments, so they are in series.
Rtotal = R1 + R2
1 / Ctotal = (1 / C1) + (1 / C2)
What is the compliance of the chest wall? Lungs?
Both are 0.2 L/cm H2O
What would total compliance be if the chest wall compliance is 0.5 L/cmH2O and lung compliance is 0.2 L/cm H2O? Resistance?
1 / Ctotal = 1 / 0.5 + 1 / 0.2
1 / x = 2 + 5 -> x = 1 / 7
x = 0.143
Rtotal = R1 + R2, 0.5 + 0.2 = 0.7 L / cmH20
What is the rule of thumb to estimate anatomic dead space?
1 cc of anatomic dead space per pound
In a healthy person, how much of the VC can they expire in 1 second with forced expiration? What is this called?
80% and FEV1
How do you calculate FEV1?
FEV1 / FVC -> (forced expiratory volume over 1 second / forced vital capacity)
How does FEV1 change in obstructive and restrictive lung pathologies?
Obstructive = less than 0.8
Restrictive = stays the same or gets bigger than baseline, so greater than 0.8
What kind of obstruction is this? What could cause it?
Fixed obstruction (present on inspiration and expiration), per lecture, an ETT would cause this
What kind of obstruction is this?
Fixed obstruction
What kind of obstruction is this?
Variable extra-thoracic
What kind of obstruction is this? What could cause it?
Variable extra-thoracic; paralyzed vocal cords being sucked into the airway during inspiration
What kind of obstruction is this?
Variable intrathoracic
What kind of obstruction is this? What could cause it?
Variable intrathoracic; an obstructive disease process or asthma (the problem isn’t getting air in, it’s getting it out)
Calculate FEV1 for both loops
Normal loop: 3.6 / 4.5 = 0.8
Obstructive loop: 1.5 / 3.0 = 0.5
Calculate FEV1, what is the disease process?
3.8 / 5 = 0.76 (don’t worry about getting this one exact, it can be hard to eyeball) (healthy or normal)
Calculate FEV1, what is the disease process?
1.75 / 2 = 0.87 (restrictive process)
What disease process does the graph indicate?
Obstructive; it takes a long time to get all the air out
What volume changes occur to FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, TLC, RV and FRC with COPD?
FEV1: decreased
FVC: normal or decreased
FEV1/FVC: decreased
TLC: normal or increased
RV: increased
FRC: normal or increased
What volume changes occur to FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, TLC, RV and FRC with fibrosis?
FEV1: decreased
FVC: decreased
FEV1/FVC: normal or increased
TLC: decreased
RV: decreased
FRC: decreased
Calculate FEV1 for both lines
Green: 3/3.5 = 0.85 (restrictive)
Red = 4/5 = 0.8 (normal)
Which loop is closest to Vt? VC?
VC = W (remember, VC is TLC - RV)
Vt = Z
What would be the difference on a nitrogen washout test between a healthy and unhealthy lung? Why is this?
The spread of dots for a normal person = more linear/uniform
The spread of dots for unhealthy = more spread out and less linear
An unhealthy lung has less uniform airflow, so nitrogen can come from different areas of the lung with each breath creating different concentrations of nitrogen in each breath that do not follow a pattern as neatly. Unhealthy will take more breaths to dilute down to 2.5% as well
In a nitrogen washout test, which pathology would have a more uniform distribution of dots on the curve?
Restrictive; the distribution of air in this disease process is more uniform than in obstructive
What is closing capacity?
As you expire and approach FRC, the base of the lung collapses, and air starts to come primarily or only from the top of the lung which has more nitrogen than the base
Describe the phases of the closing capacity test
Phase I = dead space
Phase II = rapid upstroke (transitional phase)
Phase III = plateau phase
Phase IV = sharp increase in expired nitrogen (closing capacity)
Why is nitrogen concentration higher in the closing capacity?
The alveoli at the base are 20% full, and 30% full at the apex. As you take one large breath of 100% FiO2, the nitrogen gets diluted less at the apex. Then, as you hit the closing capacity, all/most of the air is now coming from the apex which has a higher concentration of nitrogen relative to the base
What happens to closing capacity as you age?
It starts occurring sooner and sooner
What does a closing capacity occurring earlier than expected indicate?
The alveoli in the bottom of the lung are collapsing earlier than anticipated`
What 2 volumes make up the closing capacity?
Closing volume and RV
If closing capacity exceeds FRC, what is happening at the end of each breath?
The lower airways are collapsing at the end of each breath, making breathing far more energy intensive as you have to reopen the airways with each breath
What is the normal blood solubility of oxygen at 100 mmHg?
0.003 mL of O2 per dL
How much oxygen would dissolve into 1 dL of blood at 40 mmHg? 60 mmHg?
40 x 0.003 = 0.12 ml/dL
60 x 0.003 = 0.18 ml/dL
What is the normal carrying capacity of Hgb per dL of blood?
20.1 ml per dL
What would carrying capacity of Hgb be with 8 gram of Hgb per dL assuming 100% saturation?
8 g Hgb / 100 ml x 1.34 mL O2 / g Hb = 10.72 ml O2 / 1 dL of blood