Respiratory Tract Flashcards
What structures are present in the upper respiratory tract?
Nose, paranasal sinuses, mouth/tonsils and the pharynx/throat.
What structures are present in the lower respiratory tract?
Larynx, trachea, bronchi, the lungs and the gas/air barrier.
What is respiratory epithelium composed of?
Ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium.
What is the cranial nerve that supplies the nose? What makes it unique?
Olfactory Nerve (CN 1) Only nerve in the body that can completely regenerate.
In the nose; What is the function of the conchae?
Conchae increase the surface area within the nose and humidify/ warm the air.
What are paranasal sinuses and what is there function?
Air filled spaces within the bones of the face.
Provide vocal resonance and modification of speech. They also lighten the head.
Name all of the paranasal sinuses.
Maxillary (the largest), ethmoid, sphenoid and frontal.
What is an oro-antral fistula?
An abnormal communication between the roots of molars/premolars and the floor of the maxillary sinus.
Name the three divisions of the pharynx.
Nasopharynx, oropharynx, laryngopharynx.
What emergency procedure is carried out if there is a foreign object in the upper airways/facial trauma?
Cricothyroidotomy
At what point does the thyroid sit at in the neck?
C3-6
How many cartilages are in the larynx? Name them.
9 cartilages: Thyroid Cricoid Arytenoid x2 Epiglottis Corniculate x2 Cuneiform. x2
What is unique about cricoid cartilage?
Only complete rings of cartilage in the body.
What happens to the thyroid during male puberty?
Testosterone acts on the vocal cords thickening and lengthening them. Voice gradually becomes deeper.
Where is arytenoid cartilage found and what is its purpose?
Increases and decreases pitch.
Where does the trachea sit in relation to the cervical region of the neck?
C6
What muscle completes the C shaped cartilage in the trachea?
Trachealis smooth muscle.
When is it appropriate for a tracheostomy to be performed?
After failed endotracheal intubation.
Used for long term mechanical breathing.
Which bronchus is more likely to have obstruction by foreign bodies? Why is this?
The right bronchus.
Much more vertical and has a greater diameter.
Apart from the Right bronchus being much more vertical; Name another distinctive characteristic?
The right bronchus has the superior, middle and inferior divisions. (left only has superior and inferior)
What cells produce surfactant?
Type 2 pneumocytes.
Where does the apex of the lung sit?
1 inch above the clavicle
Why is it important to listen to the back of the chest?
Pathologies commonly affect the base of the lung. E.g. pneumonia.
What kind of blood does the pulmonary artery carry?
Deoxygenated blood.
What chamber of the heart does the pulmonary artery come from?
The right ventricle.
What chamber does the pulmonary veins drain in to?
Left atrium
What are the symptoms of swollen conchae?
Blocked nose and reduced air flow
Why is a cricothyroidotomy performed at a specific site?
So that the vocal cords aren’t damaged.
What is a mucociliary escalator?
Mucous produced (that traps particle) is brought up by the rhythmic beating of the cilia
What nerves supply the pharynx?
Glossopharyngeal nerve, vagus nerve (possibly the accessory)
How do you test the integrity of the nerves supplying the pharynx?
Asking the patient to say ‘aaahhh’ and inspecting uvula movement.
Where would a tracheostomy tube be placed?
2-5th tracheal space.
Name complications of a tracheostomy.
Stenosis: Narrowing.
Infection
What are the two divisions that occur after primary bronchi?
Segmental and lobar bronchi
Why are the maxillary sinuses flawed?
Drainage at the top of the sinus, large space has to be filled before drainage occurs.
What nerve supplies the larynx?
The vagus nerve
What is unique about the tracheal rings?
Incomplete ‘c’ shaped ring of cartilage.
What completes the ‘c’ shaped tracheal rings?
Trachealis sooth muscle.
What are the next 2 divisions hat occur after primary bronchi?
Lobar and segmental bronchi
What is the purpose of the larynx?
Alters pitch and volume of speech,
