Restrictive Lung Disorders Flashcards
What is a restrictive lung disorder
A disorder which prevents normal expansion of the lungs.
What helps to keep the lung inflated
The negative pressure
What can be affected to bring about extra-pulmonary disease
The visceral pleura, the parietal pleura, the chest wall, the bones, the muscles or the nerves.
What can be affected to bring about intrapulmonary disease
The alveolar spaces.
What can happen to the nerves innervating the respiratory muscles to bring about restrictive disease
The integrity of respiratory nerves can be impaired. This could be due to a high cervical dislocation.
What can happen to neuromuscular junctions to bring about restrictive disease
These can be impaired such as in myasthenia gravis.
What is a disorder of the muscles that can cause restrictive disease
Muscular dystrophy.
What causes pleural thickening and therefore can be an extra-pulmonary cause of restrictive disease
Asbestos exposure.
What is an example of a skeletal abnormality that can cause restrictive disorder
Scoliosis.
What happens in intrapulmonary causes of restrictive lung disease
There is thickening or fibrosis in the interstitial space which impairs gas exchange and disrupts mechanics. There will be reduced elasticity and expansion.
What are 6 examples of intra-pulmonary restrictive disorders
- Silicosis
- Asbestosis
- Drug-induced lung fibrosis
- Pneumoconiosis
- Rheumatoid lung
- Bird fanciers lung
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
What is the formula for the elastic recoil pressure
Elastic recoil pressure = alveolar pressure - pleural pressure.
What is pulmonary compliance
The ability of the lungs to stretch during a change in volume relative to an applied change in pressure.
What is the relationship between inflation pressure, compliance and elastic recoil
A lower compliance means a greater inflation pressure is required to inflate the alveoli. Increased inflation pressure increases the alveolar pressure which means the elastic recoil of the alveoli is increased (since elastic recoil is alveolar pressure - pleural pressure)
What is elastance
The change in pressure over the change in volume.
What makes alveoli more rigid and have decreased compliance
More fibrous tissue (as opposed to elastic tissue)
What does increased elastic recoil mean for the alveoli
They deflate easily.
Which disorder is associated with increased compliance
Emphysema in COPD.
What does increased compliance mean for the alveoli
- There is less elastic tissue so the alveoli will be more floppy
- The alveoli will inflate at low pressure
- There will be decreased elastic recoil so the alveoli will be difficult to deflate.
What happens to the tissue in alveoli when there is increased compliance
It is less elastic so more floppy
What happens to the elastic recoil when there is increased compliance
There is decreased elastic recoil so alveoli are more difficult to deflate.
Why is knowing about compliance important
When deciding how much inflation pressure to apply when ventilating someone.
What causes surface tension in alveoli
The moisture of alveoli causes surface tension. Alveoli are all lined with a biofilm of moisture which exerts pressure to create surface tension.
Are all alveoli the same size
No, all alveoli are of different sizes.
What is Laplace’s law for a sphere
P = (2XsT)/radius where sT is surface tension.
What does the different sizes of alveoli mean for the alveolar pressure
Large alveoli have relatively low alveolar pressure while small alveoli have relatively high alveolar pressure.
What does the different alveolar pressures in different sized alveoli cause
Air moves from the high pressure areas to the low pressure areas so smaller alveoli empty into larger alveoli.