Pulmonary Circulation Flashcards
how much blood volume flows through the lung per minute on average?
5L/min
What is the average blood pressure in the pulmonary circulation?
15mmHg
What is the average pressure in your right atrium?
2mmHg
What is the average pressure in your right ventricle?
25/0mmHg
What is the average pressure in your left atrium?
5mmHg
What is the average pressure in your left ventricle?
120/0mmHg
What is it called when the pressure in your left atrium becomes greater than the pressure in your pulmonary vein?
Heart failure
How does cardiac cath measure the pressure in the left atrium?
By inserting a cath through the right heart and into the pulmonary artery. Balloon seals all pressure generated from right heart off from the lungs and left heart, allowing us to detect distal pressure. This is called the wedge pressure
How is total resistance preasured?
it is the sum of alveolar and extra-alveolar resistances
What happens during hypoxia?
hypoxic vasoconstriction drives blood away from areas without good gas exchange to areas of that are receiving oxygen
What are the passive controls of pulmonary vascular resistance?
Lung volume and blood pressure. (Gravity is a passive factor that effects both)
what are some potential causes of pulmonary edema?
High capillary pressure (common presentation of left heart failure) Inflammation, Impaired lymphatic drainage High altitude, Drowning
Why doesn’t pulmonary edema begin right away when lungs begin to experience stressors that cause edema?
The ability of the pulmonary lymphatics to increase the rate of lymph flow provides a large reserve before pulmonary edema starts to occur. Once the lymphatics are “overwhelmed”, fluid accumulation starts to occur – first in the interstitial space and may eventually flood the alveoli.
what is a pleural effusion
Pleural effusion, sometimes referred to as “water on the lungs,” is the build-up of excess fluid between the layers of the pleura outside the lungs. The pleura are thin membranes that line the lungs and the inside of the chest cavity and act to lubricate and facilitate breathing
How often does a DVT progress to a PE?
10% of the time. 5,000,000 DVT and 500,000PE/year in US
What are the 3 major factors that contribute to genesis of venous thrombosis?
1) Damage of endothelium of vessel wall
2) Hypercoagulability
3) Stasis