PATHOPHYS: Gas Exchange II Flashcards
What is the equation for partial pressure of a gas?
Partial Pressure = Atmospheric Pressure X Fraction of gas
What is the fractional percent of oxygen in air?
21%
What is the partial pressure of oxygen in air?
160 mmHg
Why is does the air we breathe in not have a partial pressure of oxygen at 160 mmHg?
Because air is inspired, rapidly warmed, and saturated with H2O (so you must account for water vapor)
What is the partial pressure of water vapor at body temp?**
47 mmHg
this will be on test
What is total gas pressure (accounting for water vapor)?
760-47= 713
What is the partial pressure of oxygen that we breathe into the lungs?
150 mmHg (760-46) X 0.21= 150
True or False: water vapor varies greatly with altitude.
FALSE: water vapor does NOT vary with altitude
What is the definition of minute ventilation?
the volume exhaled per minute, calculated as:
Tidal Volume X Respiratory Rate
What is the definition of anatomic dead space?
the air which remains int he conducting airways at the end of inspiration and DOES NOT participate in gas exchange
What is alveolar dead space?
alveoli that are ventilated but not perfused (so they cannot participate in gas exchange)
How do alveoli with reduced but not absent ventilation behave?
They act as if a portion was normal and a portion was dead space
What is physiologic dead space?
the sum of anatomic and alveolar dead space
What is the equation for alveolar ventilation?
Minute Ventilation - Dead Space = Alveolar ventilation (effective ventilation)
How can you approximate anatomic dead space?
it is around lean body weight in pounds (typically 150-180 mL)
True or false: dead space is a static volume.
FALSE!
What will increase the anatomic dead space?
increasing lung volume
What will decrease the alveolar dead space?
exercise (increases blood flow to alveoli at the apex of the lung!)
True or false: increased alveolar dead space is ALWAYS pathologic.
TRUE! (ex. pulmonary embolism)
What does the alveolar gas equation tell us?
It allows us to:
1) estimate the alveolar partial pressure of oxygen
2) Determine if hypoxemia is due to lung disease or not
3) Determine the causes of hypoxemia