respiratory - topic 8

Question 1

what are some acute affects of hypoxia due to altitude at 12k feet?

Answer 1

drowsiness, fatigue, headache, nausea, sometimes euphoria

Question 2

what are some acute affects of hypoxia due to altitude at 18k feet?

Answer 2

twitching and siezures

Question 3

what are some acute affects of hypoxia due to altitude at 23+?

Answer 3

coma and death

Question 4

what happens to mental function at high altitude?

Answer 4

after an hour at 15k feet - 50% mental capacity
after 18 hours - 25%

Question 5

what is acute cerebral edema?

Answer 5

hypoxia causes local vasodilation which increases capillary pressure and causes fluid to leak into cerebral tissue

Question 6

what is acute pulmonary edema?

Answer 6

severe hypoxia causes ununiform constricted pulmonary arterioles, which causes increased blood in pulmonary vasculature through less unconstricted vessels (causes high capillary pressure and fluid leakage)

Question 7

what are some more chronic effects of high altitudes?

Answer 7

rbc mass and hemocrit increases, which increases bood viscosity and lowers blood flow to tissues and decreases O2 delivery
pulmonary arterial pressure increases
right heart becomes enlarged and may fail
congestive heart failure

Question 8

how do our lungs acclimatize to high altitudes?

Answer 8

peripheral chemoreceptors stimulate extra ventilation
erythropoietin (EPO) is secreted by kidneys to stimulate synthesis of erythrocytes and hemoglobins
2,3-DPG increases to shift dissociation curve to the right so O2 gets unloaded
higher capillary density, more mitochondria, and more muscle myoglobin to increase O2 transfer
peripheral chemoreceptors stimulate increased loss of N and H2O in urine to reduce plasma volume and increase erythrocytes and hemoglobin

Question 9

what are some affects of air pollution in early life?

Answer 9

decrease in postnatal lung function
increase in respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, bronchitis,
increase in allergy symptoms

Question 10

what are some affects of air pollution in adults?

Answer 10

exacerbations of asthma and COPD
sinusitis
otitis media
cough development
shortness of breath
lung cancer

Question 11

what are some harmful effects of climate change?

Answer 11

heat waves increase death for respiratory patients
altered distribution of allergens and vectors
increased drought conditions
increased wildfires

Question 12

how do wildfires harm the respiratory system?

Answer 12

asphyxiants produce hypoxia (CO2, CO, methane)
respiratory irritants produce hypoxia by causing tracheobronchitis, upper airway obstruction, pneumonia (ammonia, acrolin/aldehyde, sulphur dioxide)
systemic toxins cause inhalation injury (particulate matter)