Ventilation, lung mechanics and gas exchange Flashcards
What is the expiratory reserve volume and residual volume?
Expiratory reserve volume is difference between the lung volume after tidal expiration and after forced expiration. Residual volume is the volume left in the lungs after forced expiration.
What is the functional residual capacity?
the volume of air left in the lungs after pssive (tidal) expiration
What is the differnence between the inspiratory reserve volume and the inspiratory capacity?
Inspiratory reserve volume is the inspiratory capacity minus the tidal volume
What is the functional residual capacity determined by?
the balance between outward forces of chest wall wanting to expand and inward force of the lungs wanting to recoil (less recoli= less FRC)
What creates the negative pressure in the pleural space?
- Surface tension of the pleural fluid ‘sticks’ the parietal and visceral layers together
- the parietal layer is pulled outwards by chest wall
- the visceral layer is pulled inwards by the elastic recoil of the lungs
- therefor the two membranes are being pulled in opposite directions creating a vacuum- negative pressure
How does the pressure in the pleural space change on inspiration and expiration and why?
- Pressure becomes more negative inspiration and less negative on expiration
- It becomes more negative on inspiration because the diaphragm moves down, so the volume of the pleural space increases so the pressure decreases
State 3 accessory muscles to inspiration
- SCM
- Scalene
- pec major and minor
- trapezius
State 3 accesory muscles to expiration?
abdominal muscles
internal intercostals
What is lung compliance?
The relationship between pressure and volume- basically how easily does the volume change when the pressure changes
How is lung compliance calculated?
change in vol/ change in pressure
Elastin degenerates with age- what effect does this have on lung compliance and functional residual volume?
Compliance increases as less inward force resisting volume increases.
This means FRV increases because less elastic recoil= less lung emptying
What effects will empysem and fibrosis have on lung compliance?
Empyesema= less elastin= more slack lungs= more compliant
Fibrosis= stiff lungs= less compliant
What 3 factors affect lung compliance?
- elastic fibres
- fibrosis
- surface tensio (higher= less compliant)
What week gestation is surfant produced?
between 15-28 weeks
How does surfant make breathing easier?
it breaks up water molecules to reduce surface tension, this allows alveoli to inflate more easily
How does sufactant stop large alveoli engulfing small alveoli (la places law)
- Large ones normally engulf small ones because large have less surface area and so lower pressure than two equally sized bubbles
- But surfacant is spread more thinly over large alveoli so their surface tension is relativley higher than the smaller alvoeli, this means they have the same pressure so the structre of the lungs remains stable
How is minute pulmonary ventilation calculated?
tidal volume (normall 0.5L) x respiration rare (normal 15)
15x 0.5= 7.5 L/min
What are the 3 types of deadspace in the lungs?
- anatomical dead space (between lungs and bronchioles, where gas exchange of the air doesnt take place- 150ml)
- Alveolar deadspace (alveoli are ventilated but poorly/ not perfused so no gas exchange)
- Phyiological deadspace (combination of both)
Where does most airway resistance come from and why?
The upper resp tract because its cross sectional area is smaller than in the lower resp tract- therfor more air is in contact with the surface in the upper tract so there is more resistance
What 3 ways can airway resistance increase?
- increased mucus (narrows lumen)
- hypertrophy of smooth muscle and/ or odema (narrows lumen)
- loss of radial traction (break down of lung parenchyma, which normally helps hold the airways open on expiration- emphysema)