Respiratory System

Question 1

Define hypoxia.

Answer 1

Where there is a lack of oxygen in the cell (Body tissues)

Question 2

What are body tissues?

Answer 2

a group of cells that have similar structure and that function together as a unit.

Question 3

Define Hypoxaemia.

Answer 3

Where there is a lack of oxygen in the blood.

Question 4

Which usually comes first? Hypoxia or Hypoxaemia?

Answer 4

Hypoxaemia.

We can assess and use interventions to prevent this from going to hypoxia hence preventing cell death

Question 5

What is hypercapnia?

Answer 5

Greater than normal levels of CO2 in the bloodstream (PaCO2 > 45mmHg)

Question 6

What is Hypocapnia?

Answer 6

Less than normal levels of CO2 in the blood stream (PaCO2 <35mmHg)

Question 7

What is a common cause of Hypocapnia?

Answer 7

Hyperventillation.

Taking in too much O2, and not being able to balance this with CO2

Question 8

What is the cause of Hypoxia?

Answer 8

Often caused secondary to Hypoxaemia.
Which is caused by any condition that reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood or restricts blood flow can cause hypoxia. People living with heart or lung diseases such as COPD, emphysema or asthma, are at an increased risk for hypoxia

Question 9

What are the medical causes of Hypoxaemia?

Answer 9

ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) mismatch, diffusion impairment, hypoventilation, low environmental oxygen and right-to-left shunting.

Question 10

What is Ventilation/perfusion mismatch?

Answer 10

Ventilation-perfusion mismatch is mismatched distribution of ventilation (airflow) and perfusion (blood flow)

Question 11

When does ventilation/perfusion mis match occur?

Answer 11

Ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) mismatch occurs when either the ventilation (airflow) or perfusion (blood flow) in the lungs is impaired, preventing the lungs from optimally delivering oxygen to the blood

Question 12

What does VQ ratio stand for?

Answer 12

ventilation/perfusion ratio

Question 13

Efficient gas exchange is dependant of adequate what?

Answer 13

Ventilation and perfusion

Question 14

Poor ventilation and poor perfusion = what?

Answer 14

A silent unit - when the lungs arent doing anything.

Question 15

What does “Shunt” mean?

Answer 15

When blood flow is redirected from a poorly ventilated alveolus to a well-ventilated alveolus through vasoconstriction

Question 16

What is vasoconstriction?

Answer 16

Vasoconstriction is the narrowing (constriction) of blood vessels by small muscles in their walls. When blood vessels constrict, blood flow is slowed or blocked

Question 17

What is an alveolus?

Answer 17

a small air-containing compartment of the lungs in which the bronchioles terminate and from which respiratory gases are exchanged with the pulmonary capillaries.

Question 18

What are bronchioles?

Answer 18

A tiny branch of air tubes in the lungs

Question 19

What does the term “Dead space” in the lungs refer to?

Answer 19

Poor perfusion and a well ventilated alveolus

Question 20

What are 3 Mechanical causes for lung insufficiency (poor VQ ratio)

Answer 20

Structural damage
Airway obstruction
Medication

Question 21

What are some functional causes for lung insufficiency (poor VQ ratio)

Answer 21

Cardiac compromise, pulmonary embolism, hb, tumor, infection, COPD, Compliance and Resistance, and Surface area.

Question 22

What are some structural damages that would cause a poor VQ ratio?

Answer 22

Structural damage to the: Nervous system (brainstem injury), Inter-coastal muscles, diaphragm, and abdominal muscles.

Question 23

What are the two types of airway obstructions that would cause a poor VQ ratio?

Answer 23

Physiological (asthma ect) 
Foreign Objects (Steak ect)

Question 24

What types of medications would cause a poor VQ ratio?

Answer 24

CNS depressants such as: sedatives, hypnotics, and tranquilizers.

Question 25

What is cardiac compromise and what is its effect of the VQ ratio?

Answer 25

Cardiac compromise refers to any kind of heart problem.

If we have less cardiac output there will be less perfusion

Question 26

What is a pulmonary embolism and how does it cause a poor VQ ratio?

Answer 26

Pulmonary embolism occurs when an artery in the lungs becomes blocked, in most cases by blood clots that travel to the lungs from elsewhere in the body.

It causes a poor perfusion rate

Question 27

What is hemoglobin?

Answer 27

A protein inside red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to tissues and organs in the body and carries carbon dioxide back to the lungs.

Question 28

How might an infection affect the VQ ratio?

Answer 28

An infection may cause a build up of pus or fluid in the lungs leading to poor ventilation and perfusion `

Question 29

How does COPD influence your VQ ratio?

Answer 29

In COPD,

Question 30

What are some examples of some ventilation problems?

Answer 30

Inflammation of broncial walls causing epithelial odema
Exudate in lower airways causing obstruction to air flow
Exudate in alveoli causing increased diffusion distance
and
Inflammation in alveolar wall causing increased diffusion distance

Question 31

What are the bronchial walls?

Answer 31

the walls of the large tubes (bronchial) that connect to your trachea (windpipe) and direct the air you breathe to your right and left lungs.

Question 32

What does exudate mean?

Answer 32

Exudate is fluid that leaks out of blood vessels into nearby tissues. The fluid is made of cells, proteins, and solid materials. Exudate may ooze from cuts or from areas of infection or inflammation. It is also called pus. (Think of the saying “fluid on the lungs”)

Question 33

What are two common perfusion problems that we might come across?

Answer 33

Partial or complete obstruction to pulmonary artery causing reduced blood flow
and
Ineffective functioning alveoli (from exudate or oedema) causing vasoconstriction of surrounding pulmonary capillaries

Question 34

What are pulmonary arteries?

Answer 34

Arteries that carry blood with relatively low oxygen content and high carbon dioxide content into the lungs.

Question 35

What causes wheezing?

Answer 35

Wheezing happens when the airways are narrowed, tightened, blocked, or inflamed, making a person’s breathing sound like whistling or squeaking.

Question 36

What causes crackles in a persons breathing?

Answer 36

Crackles occur if the small air sacs in the lungs fill with fluid and there’s any air movement in the sacs

Question 37

What causes stirdor in a persons breathing?

Answer 37

Caused by a narrowed or partially blocked airway, which is the passage that connects the mouth to the lungs, stridor results in wheezing or whistling sounds.

Question 38

What causes coughing?

Answer 38

A cough is an automatic reaction to clear your airways if they are blocked by something, such as phlegm (mucus), smoke, dust or a piece of food.

Question 39

What is the Sternocleidomastoid muscle?

Answer 39

Sternocleidomastoid is the most superficial and largest muscle in the front portion of the neck. It is also known as SCM or Sternomastoid or Sterno muscle.

Question 40

Where are the scalenes muscles?

Answer 40

The scalene muscles are located deep in relation to the sternocleidomastoid muscle, lateral to the cervical spine, connecting the vertebrae to the first two ribs

Question 41

Where is the Trapezius muscle?

Answer 41

The trapezius is a muscle that starts at the base of your neck, goes across your shoulders and extends to the middle of your back

Question 42

Where is the Pectoralis minor and major muscle?

Answer 42

pectoralis muscle, any of the muscles that connect the front walls of the chest with the bones of the upper arm and shoulder. The pectoralis major sits on top of the minor

Question 43

What is Diaphoresis?

Answer 43

sweating, especially to an unusual degree as a symptom of disease or a side effect of a drug.

Question 44

What is Pallor?

Answer 44

Paleness or loss of colour from the skin or mucous membranes.

Question 45

What is Cyanosis?

Answer 45

Cyanosis refers to abnormal blue discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes

Question 46

What is flushing of the skin?

Answer 46

Reddening of the skin.

Question 47

What is digital clubbing?

Answer 47

a deformity of the finger or toe nails associated with a number of diseases, mostly of the heart and lungs (Larger and rounded ends of the fingers and toes)

Question 48

What does haemoptysis mean?

Answer 48

Small amounts of blood mixed with sputum

Question 49

What is nasal flaring and why does it occur?

Answer 49

Nasal flaring is a symptom of breathing difficulties or an attempt to widen the nasal opening to reduce airway resistance.

Question 50

What is pursed lip breathing and why does it occur?

Answer 50

Pursed-lip breathing is a simple technique which consists of inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth with pursued lips. It can help people to get more ventilation.