Unit 1 Respiratory 2: Physiology Flashcards
What does contraction of inspiratory muscle result in? What law is this an example of?
Reduced thoracic pressure and increases thoracic volume.
Boyle’s law (pressure and volume)
What are the muscles of inspiration?
Diaphragm
External intercostals
Accessory muscles: sternocleidomastoid and scalene
What drives exhalation?
Exhalation is a passive process that is driven by recoil of the chest wall.
When active exhalation occurs, what are the muscles?
Abdominal muscles: rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, interval and external obliques
Mneumonic: I let the air out of my TIREs
When does exhalation become an active process?
When minute ventilation increases
Lung disease (like COPD)
Cough
How much vital capacity is required for an effective cough?
At least 15 mL/kg
What are the 3 zones of the airway?
Conducting zone
Respiratory zone
Transitional zone
What is the conducting zone? Where does it start and end?
An atomic dead space.
Starts at the nares/mouth and ends with the terminal bronchioles.
What is the respiratory zone? Where does it start and end?
Where gas exchange takes place.
Begins at the respiratory bronchioles, includes the alveolar ducts and sacs
What is transitional zone? What parts does it include?
Portion of the airway that serves a dual function of air conduit and gas exchange.
Respiratory bronchioles and alveolar ducts.
Not all texts recognize transitional zone.
How many generations are in the bronchial tree?
23
Where is cilia located in the bronchial tree?
Trachea Bronchi Bronchioles Respiratory bronchioles (some) None lower than this
Where is cartilage located in the bronchial tree?
Trachea
Bronchi - patchy
None lower
Where is smooth muscle located in the bronchial tree?
Trachea Bronchi Bronchioles Respiratory bronchioles (some) Alveolar ducts (some) None in the alveolar sacs
In order to prevent airway collapse, where must the pressure always be greater?
The pressure inside the airway must be greater than the pressure outside the airway.
What is alveolar pressure?
Pressure inside the airway
What is intrapleural pressure?
Pressure outside the airway
What is transpulmonary pressure?
The difference between the pressure inside the airway and pressure outside the airway.
TPP = alveolar pressure - intrapleural pressure
If TPP is a positive value, what does this mean for the airway? What about when TPP is negative?
+ It stays open.
- It collapses
During tidal breathing what happens with TPP? Intrapleural pressure? Alveolar pressure?
TPP: is always positive to keep airway open
Intrapleural pressure: is always negative to keep lungs inflated
Alveolar pressure: becomes slightly negative during inspiration and slightly positive during expiration
When are the only times intrapleural pressure becomes positive?
Pathologic states like pneumothorax
During forced expiration
When is there no airflow during tidal breathing?
At FRC or at end-expiration
What is Vt?
Tidal volume is the amount of gas that is inhaled and exhaled during the breath.
When you take a breath, what are the 2 zones that parts of the Vt is delivered to?
Respiratory zone - gas exchange occurs here
Conduction zone - dead space
How much Vt sits in the conducting zone in a healthy 70 kg adult?
About 2 mL/kg or 150 mL
During exhalation what zone is removed first removed from?
The conducting zone followed by the respiratory zone.
Conditions that increase what zone make it more difficult to eliminate expiratory gases?
Any condition that increases dead space (conducting zone).
Increased Vd (dead space) widens what gradient? Leading to what?
PaCO2 - EtCO2 gradient
This causes CO2 retention
Define ventilation rate.
The volume of air moved into and out of the lungs in a given period of time
What 2 ventilation rates do we care about?
Minute ventilation and alveolar ventilation
What is minute ventilation?
VE: the amount of air in a single breath (Vt) multiplied by the number of breaths per minute (RR).
VE = Vt x RR
What is alveolar ventilation?
VA: only measure the fraction of VE (minute ventilation) that is available for gas exchange (removes dead space from minute ventilation).
VA = (Ve - Vd) x RR
VA = CO2 production / PaCO2
VA (alveolar ventilation) is directly proportional to what?
Carbon dioxide production
- a higher CO2 production stimulates the body to breath deeper and faster
VA (alveolar ventilation) is inversely proportional to what?
PaCO2
- faster and deeper breathing reduce PaCO2
How do anticholinergics affect Vd?
They cause bronchodilation and increase Vd.
What are the 4 types of dead space?
Anatomic: conducting airways
Alveolar: alveoli that are ventilated but not perfused
Physiologic: anatomic Vd + alveolar Vd
Apparatus: equipment (face mask, HME)
What is Vd/Vt?
The dead space to tidal volume ratio is the fraction of tidal volume that contributes to dead space.
In a spontaneously ventilating patient, what is the assumed dead space? In a 70 kg patient?
2 mL/kg
or 1/3 of tidal volume
Why does mechanical ventilation increases the Vd/Vt ratio?
Mechanical ventilation increases alveolar pressure, which increases ventilation relative to perfusion.
What is the most common cause of increased Vd/Vt under general anesthesia?
Reduced cardiac output.
- if EtCO2 acutely decreases rule out hypotension first
What things related to airway (devices) increase Vd?
Face mask
HME
PPV
What things related to airway (devices) decrease Vd?
ETT
LMA
Tracheostomy
What does old age do to Vd?
Increases Vd.
How does neck position affect Vd?
Extension: increases Vd
Flexion: decreases Vd
What pathophysiology increases Vd?
Decreased CO
Decreased pulmonary blood flow
COPD
PE
How does posture affect Vd?
Sitting: increases Vd
Supine and head down positions: decrease Vd
If dead space increases, what must occur in order to maintain a constant PaCO2?
Minute ventilation (RR, Vt, or both) must increase
In a circle system, where does Vd begin?
At the Y-piece. Nothing proximal to the Y affects Vd, nor does increasing the length of the circuit.
With what exception does the entire limb of the circuit become Vd?
With an incompetent valve in the circle system
What equation can be used to calculated physiologic dead space?
The Bohr equation.
What does the Bohr equation compare? How do you interpret it?
The partial pressure of CO2 in the blood vs the partial pressure of CO2 in exhaled gas.
The greater the difference between the two, the greater the amount of dead space.
What is the actual Bohr equation?
Vd/Vt = (PaCO2 - PeCO2) / PaCO2
In a text book patient what is ventilation in L/min, and what is perfusion in L/min? What does this make V/Q ratio?
Ventilation: 4 L/min
Perfusion: 5 L/min
V/Q: 0.8
What is the importance of compliance?
Compliance =
An alveolus that undergoes a greater degree of volumetric change during a breath is going to be better ventilated.
Change in volume / change in pressure.
Which alveoli have the poorest ventilation? Why?
Alveoli in the apex.
because they have the poorest compliance
Which alveoli have the greatest ventilation? Why?
Alveoli in the base.
Because they have the greatest compliance
What 2 factors affect distribution of blood flow to the lung?
Gravity
Hydrostatic pressure
Where are V/Q ratios higher? Where are they lower?
V/Q is higher towards the apex and lower toward the base.
In a non-dependent region of the lung, what occurs with: Ventilation Alveolar ventilation Alveolar compliance PACO2 PAO2 PAN2
Perfusion
Blood flow
Vascular pressure
Vascular resistance
V/Q
Alveolar ventilation - decreases Alveolar compliance - decreases PACO2 - decreases PAO2 - increases PAN2 - =
Blood flow - decreases
Vascular pressure - decreases
Vascular resistance - increases
Increased V/Q
In a dependent region of the lung, what occurs with: Ventilation Alveolar ventilation Alveolar compliance PACO2 PAO2 PAN2
Perfusion
Blood flow
Vascular pressure
Vascular resistance
V/Q
Alveolar ventilation - increases Alveolar compliance - increases PACO2 - increases PAO2 - decreases PAN2 - =
Blood flow - increases
Vascular pressure - increases
Vascular resistance - decreases
V/Q decreased
Dead space is defined as:
Ventilation without perfusion.
Shunt is defined as:
Perfusion without ventilation
Dead space and shunt rarely exist in true form? T/F
True
What is the most common cause of hypoxemia in the PACU?
V/Q mismatch specifically atelectasis
Dead space V/Q =
♾
Shunt V/Q =
0
How does a lung with V/Q mismatch compensate? What happens with PACO2-PaCO2 gradient and PAO2-PaO2 gradient?
Eliminates CO2 fro over ventilated alveoli to compensate for underventilated alveoli. PACO2-PaCO2 gradient remains small.
Absorbs more O2 from overventilated alveoli to compensate for underventilated. PAO2-PaO2 is usually large.
What constitutes failure of V/Q mismatch compensation mechanism?
CO2 retention.
What is the Law of Laplace? Equations?
Describes the relationship between pressure, radius, and wall tension.
Cylinder shape: tension = pressure x radius
Spherical shape: tension = (pressure x radius) / 2
According to the law of Laplace, the tendency of an alveolus to collapse is directly proportional to? And inversely proportional to?
Directly: surface tension
Inversely: alveolar radius
What type of pneumocytes produce surfactant?
Type 2
Each alveoli contain the same amount of surfactant? T/F
True
Larger alveoli just have a relatively smaller concentration of surfactant, and small ones a relatively larger concentration of surfactant.
When do type 2 pneumocytes begin producing surfactant?
Between 22-26 weeks gestation
When is the peak production of surfactant production?
35 weeks
What can hasten fetal lung maturity?
Corticosteroids (betamethasone)
Zone 1 is considered? What is the relative pressure between PA, Pa, Pv?
Dead space
PA > Pa > Pv
What is the V/Q of zone 1?
♾
There is ventilation but no perfusion
Zone 1 does not occur in the normal lung? T/F
T
What conditions increase zone 1?
Hypotension
PE
Excessive airway pressure
How does a the body combat zone 1?
The bronchioles of under fused alveoli constrict to reduce dead space
What is zone II? What is the relative pressures between PA, Pa, Pv?
Waterfall
Pa > PA > Pv
What is the V/Q of zone II?
V/Q = 1
Blood flow is directly proportional to the difference in what to pressures in the lungs? What makes greater blood flow?
Pa - PA
The greater the difference between the 2, the great the blood flow
What is zone III? What is the relative pressures between PA, Pa, Pv?
Shunt
Pa > Pv > PA
What is the V/Q of zone III?
V/Q = 0
How does the body combat zone III?
Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction reduces pulmonary blood flow to underventilated units
What zone should the tip of a pulmonary artery cather be place? Why?
Zone III
The pressure in the capillary is always higher than the alveolus, the vessel is always open and blood is always moving through it.
What 3 sites contribute to the normal anatomic shunt? What do they drain?
Thebesian veins - drains left heart
Bronchioles veins - drains bronchial circulation
Pleural veins - drain bronchial circulation
What is zone IV? What is the relative pressures between PA, Pa, PV, and Pist (interstitial space)?
Pulmonary edema : shen the interstitial space exceed the pressure in the pulmonary capillaries and alveolus.
Pa > Pist > Pv > PA
Zone IV is usually the result of what 2 phenomena? Examples of each.
- Fluid is pushed across the capillary membrane by a significant increase in capillary hydrostatic pressure : fluid overload, mitral stenosis, severe pulmonary vasoconstriction.
- Fluid is pulled across the capillary membrane by a profound reduction in pleural pressure : laryngospasm or inhalation against a closed glottis -> negative pressure pulmonary edema.
What is the alveolar gas equation?
Alveolar oxygen = FiO2 x (Pb - H2O) - PaCO2/RQ
Pb - barometric pressure
H2O - humidity of inhaled gas
RQ - respiratory quotient
What is the assumed humidity of inhaled gas?
47 mmHg
What is the assumed respiratory quotient?
0.8
What is the alveolar gas equation used to determine?
The partial pressure of oxygen inside the alveolus
What 3 important points does the alveolar gas equation illustrate?
- Hypoventilation can cause hypercarbia and hypoxemia
- Supplemental O2 can easily reverse hypoxemia, but does nothing for hypercarbia
- Hypercarbia can go undetected in the patient breathing supplemental O2
Why is the FiO2 always higher than the PAO2?
Inspired air becomes 100% humidified as it moves towards the alveoli, taking up space and diluting oxygen concentration.
Inspired air mixes with expired air diluting the concentration of oxygen going towards the alveoli.
What is the equation for respiratory quotient?
RQ = carbon dioxide production / oxygen consumption
What does an RQ of > 1 suggest? What about an RQ of 0.7?
> 1 : lipogenesis - over feeding
0.7 : lipolysis - starvation