Intro to cardiopulmonary physiotherapy Flashcards
What are the aims of cardiopulmonary physiotherapy?
- Facilitate clearance of airway secretions
- Improve the distribution of ventilation throughout the lungs thereby improving oxygenation levels
- Enhance the efficiency of the muscles responsible for ventilation
- Improve patients’ exercise capacity
- Facilitate early rehabilitation in patients with acute cardiopulmonary conditions
- Enhance functional independence and coping strategies in acute and chronic cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases with rehabilitation programmes
- Promote a healthy lifestyle
What are the indications for cardiopulmonary physiotherapy?
- Impaired airway clearance
- Shortness of breath (dyspnoea)
- Decreased exercise tolerance
- Reduced lung volumes
- Impaired gas exchange
- Airflow limitations
- Respiratory muscle dysfunction
- Poor respiratory pattern
- Pain
- Musculoskeletal dysfunction
What are the components of effective cardiopulmonary physiotherapy?
- Careful patient assessment.
- Clear definition of patient goals and physiotherapist aims of treatment.
- Effective application of the appropriate treatment technique.
- Ongoing assessment during treatment course.
- Reassessment after treatment and change treatment approach if needed
- Education of patient during treatment course and caregiver as
needed to facility improved self-management.
What are the four processes of respiration? 4
- Ventilation: Air moving into and out of the lungs from the atmosphere
- Gas exchange between the alveoli and capillaries (external respiration)
- Gas transport - oxygen and carbon dioxide transports
- Gas exchange between blood and the tissue cells (internal respiration)
The respiratory system is responsible for ——– and —– respiration.
Ventilation
External
Define ventilation
Ventilation - movement of air into and out of the lungs.
Define external respiration
External respiration (pulmonary gas exchange) – diffusion of oxygen from the alveoli into the capillaries and/or carbon dioxide from capillaries to alveoli.
What is ventilation influenced by? 5
- Respiratory muscles strength
- Pressure-gradients
- Resistance of airflow in airways and tissue
movement - Compliance of the lung tissue
- Compliance of chest wall
What is the respiratory muscles effectiveness influenced by?
- Muscle nerve innervation
- Muscle strength – ability to contract and generate a force
- Muscle power – relates to strength and speed of contraction
- Muscle endurance – ability to perform activity over a prolonged period of time
- Muscle position e.g. diaphragm position shift in patients with emphysema
Describe transpulmonary gradient
Transpulmonary pressure gradient
1. Intrapulmonary pressure (Ppul) or intra-alveolar pressure is the pressure within the alveoli.
2. Intrapleural pressure (Pip) is the pressure within the pleural cavity.
3. Transpulmonary pressure gradient is the difference between the intrapulmonary and intrapleural
pressure
What is compliance?
Compliance refers to the distensibility (ability to stretch) of a structure
How many lobes does the right lung have?
Right lung consists of three lobes (upper, middle and lower)
How many lobes does the left lung have?
Left lung consists of two lobes (upper and lower)
What is the main muscle of inspiration?
Diaphragm
What are the accessory muscles of inspiration?
- External intercostal muscles
- Scalene muscles
- Sternocleidomastoids
