Resp Session 2 Flashcards
Is breathing in active or passive?
Active
Why is breathing it passive?
Lungs tend to recoil to reach resting expiratory level where all forces are in balance
What facilitates changing lung volume by movement of the thorax?
Pleural seal
What muscles are used for inhalation in quiet breathing?
Diaphragm
External intercostals
What are the accessory muscles used for inspiration?
Sternocleidomastoid
Scalene
Serratus anterior
Pectoralis major
How does the difference between intrapleural and intrapulmonary pressures change on inspiration?
Becomes ore -ve as ribs pull more
What is found in the pleural cavity?
10-20 ml of pleural fluid which is similar to plasma but with less protein
What happens if the integrity of the pleural seal is broken?
Lungs tend to collapse and large space opens between the visceral and parietal pleura
What muscles are used in forced expiration?
Internal intercostals
External and internal abdominal obliques
Rectus abdominis
What is forced expiration?
When you breathe out beyond the resting expiratory level e.g. in exercise
What is the action of the muscles used in forced expiration?
Contract and flatten abdominal wall and push upper GI organs into diaphragm
Why is inspiration to resting expiratory volume following force expiration passive?
Forces on the lungs are unbalanced
What is lung compliance?
Lung stretchiness/ease of inflation measured as volume changeover unit volume
How is compliance of the lungs affected by emphysema?
Increased due to loss of elasticity so no opposing force to inflation
How does fibrosis affect compliance of the lungs?
Decreases as the lungs become stiff
In quiet breathing, when is most effort used?
To expand lungs unless the diaphragm is obstructed e.g. Pregnancy, obesity or surgical corset
What is the elastic recoil of the lungs due to?
Elastic tissue of airways and surface tension of fluid lining alveoli
How does the fluid lining the alveoli increase surface tension and make them harder to stretch?
Polar water molecules attract and interact with air –> surface resists stretching –> wants to collapse alveoli –> increases surface tension
Why does fluid line the alveoli if it makes them harder to inflate?
Needed to dissolve oxygen so it can move into the blood
How does surfactant decease surface tension?
Disrupts interactions between surface molecules
What produces surfactant in the lungs?
Type II pneumocytes
Why are little breaths easy when surfactant is present?
Surfactant is effective at low volume as there are a finite number of molecules which spread out as lung expands, therefore the less spread out they are the more surface tension is reduced
What does Laplace’s law state?
Pressure = (2xsurface tension)/radius
How is Laplace’s law applied to the lung?
Big bubble = large radius –> low pressure
Small bubble = small radius –> high pressure
If bubbles are connected then air moves from small to big bubble and this would happen in the alveoli if surfactant wasn’t present
Explain how surfactant is effective at keeping pressure stable inside the alveoli.
As radius of alveoli increases surfactant molecules spread apart which allows surface tension to rise thus keeping pressure stable
What is respiratory distress syndrome?
Surfactant levels in the lungs are disrupted impairing breathing and gas exchange
Why can babies born prematurely need respiratory support?
Respiratory system develops late so baby might have too little surfactant, stuff lungs, few and large alveoli and little muscle mass
What is the treatment used for babies at risk of respiratory distress syndrome due to premature birth?
Inject mother before birth with steroids to stimulate surfactant production and give air and surfactant after birth
When is respiratory distress syndrome seen in adults?
Major trauma –> inflammatory lung process disrupting surfactant
What does Poiseulle’s law state?
Small tubes have high flow resistance
Considering Poiseulle’s law, why is flow resistance highest in the trachea and lowest in the small airways?
Despite having narrower lumen the bronchial tree branches providing parallel pathways thus compensating for increased flow resistance with more possible pathways
Is the respiratory systems usually a high or low resistance system in quiet respiration?
Generally low
How does flow resistance change in forced expiration?
Small airways are narrowed by external pressure therefore resistance increases dramatically as there is no cartilage to keep them open
What is the result of pressure changes during forced expiration in the lungs?
Air is trapped in alveoli but in healthy individual there is usually enough resilience to overcome this
Why does obstructive airways disease lead to hyperinflation of the lung?
Small airways are already narrowed so in expiration resistance increases much earlier –> breathing out very difficult and more air is trapped in the lungs –> hyperinflation
What forms the bony thorax?
12 thoracic vertebrae
Sternum
12 ribs and their cartilages
11 intercostal spaces
Where are the thoracic outlet and inlet found?
Thoracic outlet = aperture formed by first ribs and superior surface of sternum
Thoracic inlet = aperture formed by 12th ribs
Lost the parts of the sternum superior to inferior.
Manubrium
Sternal angle (manubrio-sternal joint)
Sternal body
Xiphoid process
Does the xiphoid process remain cartilaginous throughout life?
No, only until mid 30s to 40s when it begins to calcify
Which ribs are ‘typical’ ribs?
3-9
What is the costo-transverse joint made by a typical rib?
Traverse process of vertebra + rib tubercle
What does the crest of a typical rib separate?
Articulating surface with corresponding vertebra above rib level and articulating surface with corresponding vertebra to rib level (e.g. Rib 7 = C7)
What runs in the costal groove of a typical rib?
Vein
Artery
Nerve
Which ribs are atypical?
1, 2, 10, 11 and 12