Respiratory Disease Overview

Question 1

What are the two main components to respiration?

Answer 1

Ventilation and gas exchange

Question 2

What are the main issues that can affect ventilation?

Answer 2

• airway patency problems
• the ability of muscles to move rib cage to allow ventilation to take place

Question 3

what are the main issues that affect gas exchange?

Answer 3

• inadequate number of alveoli
• fibrosis of the alveolar wall

Question 4

Why is it important to visualise the “costophrenic angles” on a chest x-ray?

Answer 4

Because if there is fluid present in lungs it will collect here first. Fluid in lungs will appear whiter.

Question 5

What type of x-ray is chosen over a chest x-ray when assessing respiration?

Answer 5

CT scan

Question 6

How many lobes does the left lung have?

Answer 6

2

Question 7

How many lobes does the right lung have?

Answer 7

3

Question 8

what function do the ribs have in regards to the lungs?

Answer 8

They allow a change in intra-thoracic volume

Question 9

What is meant by accessory muscles of respiration? and give two examples

Answer 9

Their primary function is not ventilation but if ventilation is compromised and more “pull” is needed on the rib cage, these muscles can be used.

Examples: pectoris major and minor

Question 10

what happens to size of airway as you move from trachea to alveoli?

Answer 10

It narrows

Question 11

The ability to transfer gas or liquid through a tube is proportional to what?

Answer 11

The power of 8 of the radius

Question 12

what happens to the ability to transfer gas as the radius of a vessel reduces?

Answer 12

Reduces

Question 13

Describe type 2 respiratory failure

Answer 13

Where there is inadequate ventilation in that the level of O2 in airways decreases and CO2 levels will rise. The ability of the patient to oxygenate and remove CO2 from the blood will be compromised.

Question 14

Where does gas exchange occur in the lungs?

Answer 14

In the alveoli

Question 15

By what process is gas exchanged in the alveoli?

Answer 15

Passive diffusion

Question 16

What disease is characterised by destruction of alveoli in lungs?

Answer 16

Emphysema

Question 17

what specifically happens to the alveoli in a disease such as emphysema?

Answer 17

Alveoli merged in some places to form larger air spaces, as this happens, the ability for blood to be oxygenated properly and have CO2 removed becomes less, as there is less surface area for this to happen.

Question 18

What three things may cause failure of the alveoli to get O2 in and CO2 out of blood?

Answer 18

1. Thickening of alveolar wall
2. Inadequate number of alveoli
3. Mismatch between where air and blood goes in the lungs

Question 19

what is meant by V-Q mismatch?

Answer 19

Where there is a blockage of airway or blood vessel so that blood goes easily to one part of lung but the air goes easily to another part. Blood and gas need to go to same part in order for gas exchange to take place. This is a main cause of respiratory failure.

Question 20

What is type 1 respiratory failure?

Answer 20

Gas exchange failure

Question 21

Name 5 common respiratory symptoms

Answer 21

1. Cough
2. Wheeze
3. Stridor
4. Dyspnoea
5. Pain

Question 22

What is a productive cough?

Answer 22

Where a certain amount of sputum is produced

Question 23

If a patient coughs up blood, what is this suggestive of?

Answer 23

Lung cancer or an infection such as TB

Question 24

Define, the subjective awareness of the sensation of uncomfortable breathing.

Answer 24

Dyspnoea

Question 25

what is the normal rate of respiration?

Answer 25

12-15 breaths/minute

Question 26

what would be as suspected respiratory rate for an individual way asthma?

Answer 26

20-30 breaths/minute

Question 27

What is meant by consolidation?

Answer 27

“When the air in the small airways of the lungs is replaced with a fluid, solid or other material such as pus, blood,water, stomach contents or cells”

Question 28

If a patient speaks while stethoscope is on chest, and noise is clearly transmitted through to stethoscope, what is his indicative of?

Answer 28

Consolidation, possible solid mass within the lung

Question 29

What are the three main ventilation diseases?

Answer 29

1. Asthma
2. COPD
3. Bronchiectasis

Question 30

what are the three main gas exchange diseases?

Answer 30

1. COPD (emphysema)
2. Pulmonary fibrosis
3. Ventilation-perfusion mismatch

Question 31

When undertaking a sputum examination, what is green sputum suggestive of?

Answer 31

Puss and possible infection

Question 32

When undertaking a sputum examination, what is yellow/white sputum suggestive of?

Answer 32

Excess production of normal sputum, often seen in asthmatics

Question 33

When undertaking a sputum examination, what is blood speckled or stained sputum suggestive of?

Answer 33

Inflammatory condition or a malignancy

Question 34

What are the 6 main respiratory investigations?

Answer 34

1. Sputum examination
2. Chest radiograph
3. CT scan
4. Spirometry (pulmonary function)
5. Bronchoscopy
6. VQ scan

Question 35

What does spirometry test?

Answer 35

“How much air you can breathe in and out of your lungs, as well as how easily and fast you can blow air out your lungs.”

Question 36

What respiratory investigation allows you to physically look at airways by passing a fibre-optic scope into the lungs?

Answer 36

Bronchoscopy

Question 37

what type of element is used as the basis of VR scanning?

Answer 37

Radioisotopes

Question 38

what does PEFR stand for?

Answer 38

Peak expiratory flow rate

Question 39

What test can be used at home by patients to measure air flow out of lungs?

Answer 39

PEFR test