Session 4: Group Work

Question 1

What will happen to the total content of oxygen in the blood if a normal individual breathes air at twice the normal atmospheric pressure?

Answer 1

Make it easy and just times 13.3 kPa 2.
26.6 kPa
Since haemoglobin is completely saturated at 13.3 kPa

8.8 mmol/l of the bloods content of O2 comes from haemoglobin.

The rest is dissolved in the plasma.

13. 3 x 0.01 = 0.13 mmol/l This is the difference between 13.3kPa and 26.6 kPa
14. 3 kPa would have a content of 8.933 mmol/l

Question 2

What is cyanosis? How could you clinically differentiate central cyanosis and peripheral cyanosis?

Answer 2

Bluish discoloration due to poor circulation or inadequate of O2 saturation.

Central gives bluish discoloration of mouth, tongue, lips and mucous membrane

Peripheral cyanosis -> hand and feet

Question 3

What is central cyanosis usually caused by?

Answer 3

Low saturation of haemoglobin

Question 4

What is peripheral cyanosis usually caused by?

Answer 4

Poor circulation

Question 5

What happens to pH in a sudden rise in pCO2?

Answer 5

Decrease in pH