Respiratory Flashcards
What is the function of the nose?
Filtering, defence function (cilia waft inhaled particulates from anterior naries backwards to be swallowed), temperature of inspired air
The anterior nares open into the vestibules. What do they contain?
Vestibules have turbinates. These double the SA of the nose
What are the spaces inbetween the turbinates called?
Meatus (superior, middle, inferior)
What are the paranasal sinuses?
Pneumatised areas of the:
- frontal
- maxillary
- ethmoid
- sphenoid bones
They are arranged in pairs
Where are the frontal sinuses found? What is their innervation?
Within frontal bone, midline septum. Innervated by ophthalmic division of V nerve
Where are the maxillary sinuses found? What is their shape?
Located within the body of the maxilla. Pyramidal shape
Where are the ethmoid sinuses found? What is their innervation?
Between the eyes, semilunar hiatus of the middle meatus. Ophthalmic + maxillary V nerve
Where are the sphenoid sinuses found? What is their innervation?
Medial to cavernous sinus, inferior to optic canal, dura + pituitary gland. Ophthalmic V
What is the pharynx? What is it split into?
- Fibromuscular tube lined with epithelium. Base of skull to C6.
- Nasopharynx, oropharynx + laryngopharynx
What is the function of the larynx? What is it made up of?
Has a valvular function. Prevents liquids + food from entering the lung. Has a rigid structure, 9 cartilages + multiple muscles. Elastic = epiglottis. Hyaline = thyroid, cricoid, arytenoid
What are the single and double laryngeal cartilages?
Single:
- epiglottis
- thyroid
- cricoid
Double:
- cuneiform
- corniculate
- arytenoid
Learn diagram
What is the laryngeal innervation? What does the main nerve split in to?
The vagus (X). This splits into the superior laryngeal nerve + recurrent laryngeal nerve
What does the superior laryngeal nerve supply? What does it divide into?
Inferior ganglion + lateral pharyngeal wall. Divides into internal (sensation) + external (cricothyroid muscle)
What does the recurrent laryngeal nerve supply? Are the left and right the same?
Supplies all muscles except cricothyroid (where pierced if need to get into airway). Right and left laryngeal nerve are different - left is longer than right as it crosses under arch of aorta at the ligamentum arteriosum
What is the general structure of the lower respiratory tract?
Trachea - main bronchi - lobar bronchi - segmental branches - terminal bronchiole - respiratory bronchiole - alveolar ducts + alveoli
Where is the trachea found? What features does it have? Is it conducting or respiratory airway?
- From larynx (C6) to carina (T5)
- Semicircular cartilaginous rings
- Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelia with interspersed goblet cells
- Conducting
Which bronchus is more vertical? What do these bronchi split into? Are these conducting airway or respiratory airway?
- Right main bronchus is more vertical than the left - left accommodates aortic arch underneath
- Trachea split to form these at carina
- RMB further divides into lobar bronchi to form 3 lobes (lower, middle + upper)
- LMB divides into lobar bronchi to form 2 lobes (upper lingular + lower)
- Segmental bronchi arise from these lobar divisions
- All conducting airway
What are the two bronchioles? Are these conducting or respiratory airway?
- Terminal (conducting)
- Respiratory = highest restriction to airflow (respiratory)
- Conducting = no gas exchange
- Respiratory = gas exchange
What do alveoli contain?
- Type I (gas exchange) + II (surfactant) pneumocytes
- Adjacent alveoli connected through pores of Kohn - allows movement of alveolar macrophages
- Fused basement membrane with endothelia of capillaries - 1um thick
This is all respiratory. In total, there are 24 divisions from trachea to alveoli
What are the two types of pulmonary plurae? Where do they originate from?
- Visceral - on lung surface, autonomic innervation
- Parietal - on thoracic wall against lungs, pain sensation
- Mesodermal origin, single layer cells
- Continuous with each other at root of lung
- Intrapleural fluid fills space, lubricating surfaces
What is the innervation of the lungs?
- Sympathetic = bronchodilation (T2-4 symp. trunk ganglia)
- Parasympathetic = bronchoconstriction (vagus)
What are the 7 layers of gas exchange?
- Fluid lining alveolus
- Layer of epithelial cells - Type I pneomocytes
- Basement membrane of type I cells
- Interstitial space
- Basement membrane
- Endothelia
- Erythrocyte
What are the muscles of inspiration?
- Diaphragm mainly, 70% of volume change (phrenic C3-5 innervation)
- External intercostals - lift ribs 2-12, widen thoracic cavity
- Scalenes, pectoralis major, sternocleidomastoids
What are the muscles of active expiration?
- Passive during quiet breathing
- Internal intercostals = depresses ribs 1-11
- Rectus abdominis = depresses lower ribs, compresses abdominal organs + diaphragm
What happens to the intercostal muscles, diaphragm, volume and pressure during inspiration and expiration?
- Inspiration:
- Intercostal muscles = contract
- Diaphragm = contract
- Volume = increases
- Pressure = decreases, so air moves in
- Expiration:
- Intercostal muscles = relaxes
- Diaphragm = relaxes
- Volume = decreases
- Pressure = increases, so air moves out
What is physiological deadspace? What is it split into?
- It is the volume of inspired air that is not contributing to ventilation. There is anatomical (due to anatomy), that makes up more ml, and alveolar. So, the physiological deadspace = anatomical + alveolar
What happens in gas exchange? What is hypoxia? How is this overcome?
- O2 in, CO2 out
- 1000 capillaries per alveolus, each erythrocyte may come into contact with multiple alveoli
- Capillaries at most dependent parts of lung are preferentially perfused with blood at rest
- Perfusion of capillaries with oxygen depends on pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary venous pressure etc.
- Hypoxia = where region of body deprived of oxygen. Pulmonary vasoconstriction diverts blood to better-oxygenated lung segments, thereby optimising ventilation/perfusion matching + system oxygen delivery
What do these abbreviations mean:
- PaO2/CO2
- PAO2/CO2
- PiO2
- V’A
- V’CO2
- Arterial O2/CO2
- Alveolar O2/CO2
- Pressure of inspired O2
- Alveolar ventilation
- CO2 production
What is the equation for CO2 elimination? What are the three ways in which CO2 is carried? What are the physiological causes of high CO2?
- CO2 elimination: PaCO2 = k V’CO2/V’A
- Three ways CO2 is carried:
- Bound to haemoglobin
- Plasma dissolved
- As carbonic acid
- Physiological causes of high CO2:
- V’A reduced = either reduced minute ventilation, increased deadspace ventilation by rapid shallow breathing or increased deadspace ventilation by ventilation/perfusion mismatching
- Increased CO2 production
What is the alveolar gas equation? What are the causes of low PaO2?
- Alveolar gas equation: PAO2 = Pi02 - PaCO2/R (R is respiratory quotient)
- Causes of low PaO2 (hypoxaemia):
- alveolar hyperventilation
- reduced PiO2
- ventilation/perfusion mismatching
- diffusion abnormality
What is acid base control? What carbonic acid equilibrium?
- pH needs to be maintained to ensure optimal function
- CO2 elimination from the lungs is one mechanism to maintain pH
- Carbonic acid equilibrium = CO2 + H2O <-> H2CO3 <-> H+ + HCO3-
- HCO3- = weak base
- H2CO3 = weak acid
What is the Henderson-Hasselbach equation? What are the four main acid base disorders?
- Henderson-Hasselbach equation: pH = 6.1 + log10((HCO3-) / (0.03 x PaCO2) )
- 4 main acid base disorders:
- Respiratory acidosis = increased PaCO2, decreased pH, mild increased HCO3-
- Respiratory alkalosis = decreased PaCO2, increased pH, mild decreased HCO3-
- Metabolic acidosis = reduced bicarbonate + decreased pH
- Metabolic alkalosis = increased bicarbonate + increased pH
What is the innate immune response?
Physical, chemical + cellular defences that aim to immediately prevent the spread of foreign pathogens
How is inflammation triggered?
Initiated by tissues, epithelial production of hydrogen peroxide + release of cellular contents. Amplified by specialist macrophages, e.g. Kupffer cells, alveolar
Why is inflammation described as a ‘double edged sword’?
Provides defence against infection + hostile environment but many will die of diseases caused by inflammatory processes, e.g. COPD
How do we recognise pathogens we have never seen before?
Pattern recognition receptors, e.g. toll-like receptors
What are some specialist macrophages? What is their role in the innate immune response?
Dendritic cells, Kupffer cells (liver), histiocytes + alveolar macrophages. They initiate acute inflammation via cytokines + antigen presentation
What are neutrophils? What is their role in the innate immune response?
- Neutrophils comprise 70% of leukocytes
- Contain primary granules (myeloperoxidase, elastase etc.) + secondary granules (receptors, lysozyme etc.)
- Carry our bacterial killing through enzyme release (order):
- Identify threat - receptors
- Activation
- Adhesion
- Migration
- Phagocytosis (membrane invagination + pinching PHAGOSOME (vesicles around particle), fusion with granules PHAGOLYSOSOME (fusion of phagosome + lysosome)
- Bacterial killing
- Apoptosis (need to get rid of them after use)
Is the airway smooth muscle regulated?
Yes, it can contract + relax to regulate airway diameter
How are the airway smooth muscles regulated?
- Regulated by autonomic nervous system (contractile signals cause increase in intracellular calcium in smooth muscle, which activated actin-myosin contraction)
- Regulated by inflammation
Where does the autonomic nervous system convert all the outputs from the central nervous system to? What are the two nerves?
- Autonomic nervous system conveys all outputs from CNS to body, except for skeletal muscle control
- Two nerves in series, pre- + post- ganglionic fibres. Parasympathetic ganglia are near their targets with short post-ganglionic nerves, whereas sympathetic ganglia are near spinal cord with long post-ganglionic fibres
What is the dominant neurological bronchoconstrictor response mediated by? What happens if there is too much bronchoconstriction?
- Parasympathetic nervous system
- Vagus nerve neurons terminate in parasympathetic ganglia in airway
- Short post-synaptic fibres reach muscle + release acetylcholine, which acts on receptors to stimulate airway smooth muscle contraction
- Excessive bronchoconstriction = bad, inhibition of parasympathetic nervous system beneficial (drugs block M3 receptor = anti-cholinergics or anti-muscarinics (can be short-acting or long-acting muscarinic antagonists). Beta agonists engage them, anti-muscarinics oppose them
What does the sympathetic nervous system do to airway smooth muscle?
- Nerve fibres release noradrenaline which activates adrenergic receptors on airway smooth muscles, causes muscle relaxation
What is the action of a beta-2 agonist on a beta-2 receptor? What are some adverse effects of beta-2 receptors?
- Binds to beta-2 receptor, ATP turned to cAMP, this converts inactive protein kinase to activated protein kinase = muscle relaxation
- Raising cAMP may activate Na/K exchange pump driving influx of potassium
- Tachychardia
What factors govern drug deposition?
- Particle size (main factor)
- Flow rate
- Underlying disease
- Device
What is the difference between innate and adaptive immunity?
- Innate = induced by infection, e.g. cytokines, macrophages. Initial response
- Adaptive = specific to pathogen, happen later + generate ‘memory’ with a learned response that is more rapid and effective
- This happens throughout the respiratory tract + involves epithelium
What does respiratory epithelium do in the non-immune response?
- Functions as a barrier to pathogens and contains mucosal glands - mucociliary escalator
Multiple molecules secreted from the epithelium play a role in host defence. Give examples of these molecules.
- Antiproteinases (lysozymes)
- Anti-fungal proteins
- Anti-microbial proteins (a&b defensins)
- Surfactants (A&D)
The host defence in the respiratory tract relies on more than epithelial cell products. What are the other lines of defence?
Mucus + products of submucosal glands. Coughing + sneezing are significant non-immune defence mechanisms
What is mucus?
Secretory product of mucous cells (goblet cells of airway surface epithelium + submucosal glands), vasoelastic gel. Protects epithelium from foreign material + fluid loss, transported from lower respiratory tract into pharynx by air flow + mucociliary clearance. Cilia beat in directional waves to move mucus up the airways
What are coughing and sneezing?
- Coughing = expulsive reflux with some voluntary control, clearance of irritants
- Sneezing - involuntary reflex in response to nasal muscosa irritation or excess fluid in airway
Can airway epithelium repair itself?
- Yes. Airway epithelium exhibits level of plasticity. The multipotential basal cell population can differentiate into respiratory epithelium if damage occurs
- Abnormal epithelial responses to injury underpin many obstructive lung diseases
What are the definitions of the values measured in a lung function test?
- Inspiratory Reserve Volume (IRV) = max. inhalation of tidal (normal) breathing = 2000ml
- Expiratory Reserve Volume (ERV) = max. inhalation of tidal (normal) exhalation = 1250ml
- Residual Volume (RV) = air in lungs after max. expiration; keeps alveoli inflated between breaths + mixes with fresh air on next inspiration = 1250ml
- Vital Capacity (VC) = amount of air that can be exhaled with maximum effort after maximum inspiration (ERV + TV + IRV) = 3750ml
- Functional Residual Capacity (FRC) = amount of air remaining in lungs after normal tidal expiration (RV + ERV) = 2500ml
- Inspiration Capacity (IC) = max. inspiration after tidal (normal) expiration (TV + IRV)
- Total Lung Capacity (TLC) = maximum amount of air the lungs can contain (RV + VC) = 5000ml
- Tidal volume (TV) = amount of air inhaled or exhaled in one breath - 500ml a breath
What is FEV1 and FVC? How are they used?
- FEV1 is measured in a spirometry test. It is the volume of air that is forced out in one second after taking a deep breath
- FVC (forces vital capacity) is the volume of air exhaled from lungs after taking the deepest breath possible, measured by spirometry
- Divide FEV1/FVC to give a volume-time curve. Shows proportion of person’s vital capacity that they are able to expire in first second of forced expiration to fill, forced vital capacity. Should be expelled in 6 seconds
What is the PEF? What is the flow-volume loop?
- PEF = peak expiratory flow (rate). It is the single measure of the highest flow during expiration. Measured with a peak flow meter
- Flow-volume loop from spirometry test is a plot of inspiratory + expiratory flow against volume. PEF = peak flow, FEF25 = flow at point when 25% of total volume to be exhaled has been exhaled
Airways are defined as obstructive or restrictive using spirometry. What do these terms mean and what conditions are associated with them?
- Obstruction = blockage of airways. Eventually reach FVC. Asthma, COPD (learn)
- Restriction = can’t expand lungs, can’t reach FVC. Obesity, pulmonary fibrosis (learn)
What are the figures for the FEV1/FVC ratio and the FVC in airway obstruction and restriction?
- Airway obstruction:
- FEV1/FVC ratio = <70%, low FEV1 (<80%)
- FVC = normal
- Airway restriction:
- FEV1/FVC ratio = <80%, low FEV1
- FVC = <80%
Expiratory procedures only measure VC, not RV. What are some other ways to measure RV and TLC?
- Gas dilution
- Body box (total body plethysmography) - RV and TLC can be calculated from the measurements, e.g. FRC, VC, expiratory reserve volume. TLC = VC + RV
What is DLCO? What is used to estimate this?
DLCO is the diffusing capacity of lung for carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is used to estimate DLCO. Technique = hold breath for 10 seconds now with known amount of CO inhaled. Expired CO is measured. This is reduced with COPD
What is compliance? What determines lung compliance? What are the two types of compliance?
- Compliance of the lung = change in volume per unit change in pressure gradient between pleura and alveoli. Greater lung compliance = more readily the lungs are expanded
- Determined by stretchability of lung tissues: a thickening + thus a loss in stretchability of the lung’s elastic connective tissues results in a decrease in lung compliance
- Static compliance (measured during breath-hold) + dynamic compliance (measured during regular breathing)
What is pontine system? Where is it found?
- Found in the pons of midbrain, control breathing
- Apneustic centre:
- Area of lower pons
- Major source of input to medullary inspiratory neurons. Increase inspiratory intensity
- Pneumotaxic centre:
- Area of upper pons
- Modulates activity of apneustic centre to allow for expiration, increased innervation leads to shallower ventilation with increased frequency
What is the medullary system? Where is it found?
- Neural activity that controls contraction of diaphragm + intercostal muscles
- Dorsal respiratory group (DRG):
- Rapidly fire during inspiration
- Input to spinal nerves that control diaphragm + inspiratory intercostals
- Ventral respiratory group (VRG):
- Pre-Botzinger complex of neurons located in upper part of VRG. This is where respiratory rhythm generator is
- Sets respiratory basal rate
- Neurons fire during both inspiration + expiration
- Have input to muscles of inspiration
- Lower VRG also contains expiratory neurons, input to muscles of expiration
What happens in inspiration and expiration?
- Inspiration:
- Diaphragm stimulated to contract + flatten
- Volume increases + pressure decreases (Boyle’s law)
- Chest wall moves away from lung surface + parietal pleura moves away from visceral slightly
- Transpulmonary pressure (force acting to expand lungs) increases
- Pressure enough to overcome elastic recoil
- Lungs expand + air forced in
- Expiration:
- Relaxation, increasing pressure + elastic recoil forces air out
The DRG etc. need to be stimulated. What are the two types of chemoreceptors?
- Central chemoreceptors:
- In medulla. Not within DRG/VRG complex
- Provide excitatory synaptic input to medullary inspiratory neurons
- Sensitive to PaCO2 of blood perfusing brain. Stimulated only by an increase in H+ concentration in ECF
- Peripheral chemoreceptors:
- Aortic bodies and carotid bodies
- Stimulated by decrease in PaO2 and increase in arterial H+ concentration
What is the general rule for minute ventilation?
Proportional to PaCO2 and 1/PaO2
Explain the control by PO2 and control by PCO2.
- Control by PO2:
- Decrease in PO2 stimulates peripheral chemoreceptors
- Send impulses to medullary inspiratory neurons + cause increase in ventilation rate
- Control by CO2:
- Increase in PCO2 = increase in H+ in blood (CO2 + H2O -> H+ + HCO3-)
- Stimulates peripheral chemoreceptors + medullary inspiratory neurons
- Increase in CO2 in brain ECF
- H+ stimulates central chemoreceptors
- Ventilation increased to remove excess CO2
What are the three types of pulmonary stretch receptors? What do they cause?
- Mechanoreceptors
- Slowly adapting stretch receptors (SASR):
- In smooth muscle layer of airways in lungs
- Stimulated by large lung inflation
- Send afferent (afferent = arrives, efferent = exits) impulses to brain + inhibit medullary inspiratory neurons in DRG. Inhibit inspiration in response to stretch (Hering-Breuer reflex)
- Rapidly adapting stretch receptors (RASR):
- In-between epithelial cells of airways
- Respond to rate of change in volume + irritants
- Stimulation causes bronchoconstriction + activity burst
- J receptors:
- Stimulated by increase in lung interstitial pressure
- Effects are rapid breathing, dry cough, sensation of pressure in chest + dyspnoea
Airway receptors are either found in nose, nasopharynx and larynx or the pharynx. What do they do?
- Nose, nasopharynx and larynx:
- Chemo and mechano receptors, some appear to sense + monitor flow. Inhibit the central controller
- Pharynx:
- Receptors activated by swallowing, stops respiratory activity to protect against risk of aspiration of food or liquid
What is the role of muscle proprioreceptors?
- Important roles in perception of breathing effort
What do the terms hypoxia and hypercapnia mean?
- Hypoxia = deficiency of oxygen at the tissue level
- Hypercapnia = increase in PCO2 in the arterial blood. Hypercapnia is the main drive to breathe
What are the four types of hypoxia?
- Hypoxaemia = reduced PaO2
- Anaemia or CO hypoxia = when arterial PO2 isn’t decreased total amount of O2 in blood is decreased due to lack of erythrocytes or abnormal erythrocytes
- Ischaemic hypoxia = blood flow to tissues is too low
- Histotoxic hypoxia = cells unable to utilise O2 delivered to them due to a toxic agent, e.g. cyanide
Hypoxemia is the most common type of hypoxia. What are the four most common causes of this?
- Hypoventilation = resulting in increased arterial partial CO2 pressure. Failure to ventilate the alveoli adequately
- Diffusion impairment = results from thickening of alveolar membranes or decrease in their SA. Causes blood partial O2 pressure + alveolar partial O2 pressure to fail to equilibriate
- Shunting = abnormality that causes blood to flow from one circulatory system to another, e.g. oxygenated blood mixes with deoxygenated blood, so reduces overall pressure of O2. Right-to-left shunt allows deoxygenated systemic venous blood to bypass lungs + return to body
- Ventilation-perfusion mismatch = most common cause of hypoxaemia. Air reaches entire lung but some areas aren’t perfused so O2 can’t get into blood via alveoli. There may be ventilated alveoli but no blood supply (dead space or wasted ventilation). There may be adequate blood flow but no ventilation (shunt)
What is respiratory failure? What is type I respiratory failure?
- Respiratory failure = failure of gas exchange, inability to maintain normal blood gases. Either acute (rapid) or chronic (over time)
- Type I:
- PaO2 = low (hypoxia)
- PaCO2 = low/normal (hypocapnia/normal)
- Caused by problem with oxygenation, e.g. high altitude, shunting. Pulmonary embolism (form of ventilation-perfusion mismatch) most commonly causes Type I
What is type II respiratory failure?
- PaO2 = low (hypoxia)
- PaCO2 = high (hypercapnia)
- Caused by poor ventilation, e.g. COPD, asthma