Normal physiology Flashcards
TLC = RV + ____
VC
TLC = FRC + ____ + _____
Vt + IRV = IC
Main inspiratory muscles appart from diaphragm
Intercostals:
- External intercostals
- Parasternal intercostals
Accessory muscles:
- Scalenes
- Sternocleidomastoids
- Trapezius
Expiratory muscles during exercise
Abnominal muscles
- Rectus abdominis
- Transverse abdominis
- Internal /external obliques
Thoracic muscles
- Internal intercostals
- Innermost intercostals
4 Methods for measurement of lung volume
- Spirometry
- Gas dilution
- Plethysmography (body box)
- Radiographic techniques
Flow-volume curve axes
X axis = volume
Y axis = flow (liters /second)
It is the derivative of the volume-time curve .
Gas dilution equation used
C1V1 = C2V2
Where:
C1 = concentration of He before dilution
V1 = volume of He before dilution
C2 = concentration of He after diluation
V2 = V1 + (what we’re looking for)
Is plethysmography more accurate than He dilution?
Yes.
Mechanism of plethysmography
Breathe out at FRC, then shutter closes. Patient breathes in against the closed shutter, leading to a change in pressure and volume in the thorax, which is calculated by a pressure transducer.
3 determinants of lung volume
- Pulmonary compliance
- Chest wall compliance
- Respiratory muscles
Transpulmonary pressure equation
Pressure at the airway opening - pressure in the pleural space
Transpulmonary pressure is used as a measure of the _______ of the lungs and airways.
Elastic recoil
What device do we use to find out the pleural pressure?
Esophageal balloon
What is the compliance difference between inspiration and expiration called, and what is it due to?
Is pressure required higher or lower during inspiration?
Hysteresis.
It is due to the lungs being more difficult to open during inspiration because of the coat of surfactant. Compliance is lower for inspiration than for expiration.
3 determinants of lung compliance
- Tissue forces (lung)
- Surface tension
- Chest wall
Does emphysema increase or reduce the forces related to the elastin-collagen-proteoglycan network of lung tissue?
REDUCE (increased compliance)
What is pulmonary surfactant?
Small layer of phospholipids in the alveoli which decreases surface tension.
Does pressure in an alveoli increase or decrease with size of alveoli?
It decreases with a larger alveoli (inversely proportional).
Does fibrosis increase or reduce compliance?
Reduce (increase forces related to the tissues).
2 vital properties of pulmonary surfactant
- Lower surface tension (increasing compliance of the lungs)
- Promote alveolar stability (reducing chances of collapse of alveoli)
Why is FRC the state of equilibrium of the pulmonary system?
Because the inward pressure of the tissue to collapse equilibrates with the outward pressure of the chest wall to expand.
What is the resting state of the chest wall?
At about 60-80% of TLC. However, in that case, the respiratory system has a tendency to collapse due to the lung tissue who has pressure inwards.
What happens at RV in terms of chest wall and elastic recoil?
Outward elastic recoil of the chest wall is stronger than the inward elastic recoil of the pulmonary tissue.
What are the determinants of RV?
- Limits of the chest wall (youth)
- Premature airway closure (older adults = loss of elastic recoil)
- Limit of expiratory force
Are lower zones of the lung more or less compliant than higher zones?
More compliant (smaller resting volumes and more easily ventilated).
In what types of airways has are we most likely to have laminar vs turbulent flow?
Laminar = peripheral airways (smaller)
Turbulent = main airways (larger)
Relationship between driving pressure and flow in turbulent flow
Driving pressure is proportional to the square of the flow.
This means that to have a same flow rate as in the laminar flow, we need more pressure.
What is the most efficient type of flow?
Laminar.
What is the name of the flow that occurs when it is perfectly laminar?
Poiseuille flow.
Relationship between driving pressure and flow in laminar flow
Directly proportional
If the flow rate in a tube is high by default, which type of flow is most likely to occur?
Turbulent flow
During laminar flow, the driving pressure needed to generate a given amount of flow varies __________ with the tube length and __________ with the _________ of the tube radius
Directly
Inversely ; fourth power
if the airway radius is halved, by how much must be the driving pressure increased to maintain the flow rate in laminar flow?
16-fold increase
Turbulent flow is most likely to occur when flow rate is _____ and tube diameter is ____.
High
Large
What does a high Reynold’s number tell us?
A higher likelihood for turbulent flow.
What is the relationship between gas density and flow type?
Higher gas density = more likelihood for turbulent flow.
What is a use of Helium related to its low gas density?
To convert turbulent flow into laminar flow in patients with upper airway obstruction.
Resistance increases or decreases with length of tube?
Increases.
True or False? Tubes connected in series have a greater total resistance than tubes connected in parallel.
TRUE!
True or False (exam question)? The dichotomous branching arrangement of the airways (tubes connected in parallel) allows for a lower total airway resistance despite the fact that the individual airways are getting smaller.
True. This is because, although each individual airway gets smaller, the total cross-sectional area of all the airways increases, reducing overall resistance.
Does lung resistance increase or decrease as we breathe in? Why?
Decrease. That is because airways are pulled open by
- Alveolar attachments on the membranous bronchioles
- Effect of negative intrathoracic pressure on the airways
How to calculate total airways resistance?
P mouth - P alveoli = Raw
Which type of resistance has the most important effect on total pulmonary resistance?
Airway resistance.
Tissue resistance has a small effect. It refers to the loss of energy as tissue molecules move past each other with changes in lung volume.
What does maximal expiratory flow depend on? (3 things)
- Airway resistance
- Elastic recoil of the lungs
- Expiratory muscle strength
What is flow limitation?
The fact that, no matter how hard we push with our muscles during expiration, the flow will remain the same past a certain point. It refers to the effort independent region of the flow-volume curve.
What is flow limitation due to?
Equal pressure points, aka choke points.
Increase in alveolar pressure is proportional to increase in pressure at the equal pressure point.
What is flow determined by, in the effort-independent portion of the flow-volume curve?
- Elastic recoil of the lungs
- Resistance of the airways
FEV1/FVC ratio in obstructive disease
Decreased (< 0.7)
FEV1/FVC ratio in restrictive disease
Same or increased
Tell me about the PEF, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, TLC and RV in emphysema (obstructive disease)
PEF = reduced
FEV1 = reduced
FVC = same
FEV1/FVC = decreased (< 0.7)
TLC = increased
RV = increased
In emphysema, there is both loss of elastic recoil and increase airway resistance because tissue is not properly hold up the airways, leading to decreased radius and increased resistance.
We see a scoop curve.
Tell me about the PEF, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, TLC and RV in fibrosis (restrictive disease)
PEF = reduced
FEV1 = reduced or same
FVC = reduced
FEV1/FVC = increased or same
TLC = decreased
RV = decreased
We see a snappy curve.
Increased elastic recoil of the lungs, but decreased compliance makes it harder to inflate them to high TLCs.
Tell me about the PEF, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, TLC and RV in chest wall disease.
PEF = reduced
FVC = reduced
TLC = decreased
RV = variable
How many times do the airways branch, from the trachea? How many of these generations are part of the conducting, and how many of the respiratory zones?
23 times.
First 16 = conducting zone
After 16th generation = respiratory zone
What is the typical tidal volume at rest vs during exercise?
500 mL
3L+ during exercise