Ventilation: Perfusion Relationship, Gas Transport in Blood, Additional Material on Oxygen Carriage in the Blood Flashcards
What does the ventilation (V) rate refer to?
Volume of gas inhaled and exhaled from the lungs in a given time period, usually a minute.
How can ventilation rate be calculated and what is the average?
Tidal volume X respiratory rate
In an average man, the ventilation rate is roughly 6L/min.
What is perfusion (Q)?
The total volume of blood reaching the pulmonary capillaries in a given time period.
Perfusion refers to blood flow through the pulmonary circulation.
What is a mismatch of V/Q at the base?
Ventilation<Perfusion ratio <1.0
What is a mismatch of V/Q at the apex?
Ventilation>Perfusion ratio >1.0
What can happen during V/Q mismatch?
When there is inadequate ventilation the V/Q reduces, and gas exchange within the affected alveoli is impaired.
As a result, the capillary partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) falls and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) rises.
What is shunt?
Shunt is a term used to describe the passage of blood through areas of the lung that are poorly ventilated. (ventilation«perfusion)
What is shunt the opposite of?
Alveolar dead space
What is alveolar dead space?
Volume of air in alveoli that are ventilated but not perfused
What are common causes of alveolar dead space?
Smoking
Bronchitis
Emphysema
Asthma
What is anatomical dead space?
Air in the conducting zone of the respiratory tract unable to participate in gas exchange as walls of airways are too thick
What is physiological dead space?
Anatomical DS + alveolar DS
What does haemoglobin get get from plasma?
Sequesters O2 from the plasma, thus maintaining a partial pressure gradient that continues to suck O2 out of the alveoli, until the haemoglobin becomes saturated with O2.
What is fundamental in determining how much O2 binds to haemoglobin?
Partial pressure of O2 in the plasma
What does blood transport?
O2 from lungs to tissues and the waste product of this process CO2 from tissues to lungs for removal.
How does O2 travel?
O2 travels in two forms in the blood:
In solution in plasma
Bound to haemoglobin protein in red blood cells
Bulk (77%) of CO2 is transported in solution in plasma, 23% is stored within haemoglobin
How much 02 is in per litre of plasma?
Only 3ml O2 dissolve per litre plasma
How much O2 is in per litre of blood?
200ml O2 per litre whole blood, 197m of which is bound to haemoglobin in red blood cells
What determines the degree of which haemoglobin binds to oxygen?
Partial pressure of oxygen in the blood.
What does the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve describe?
Proportion of saturated haemoglobin plotted against partial pressure of oxygen
What determins the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve?
Haemoglobin binding affinity for oxygen
Rate haemoglobin acquires
What is the primary transporter of oxygen in blood?
Haemoglobin
What does P50 on the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve describe?
Partial pressure of oxygen when haemoglobin is 50% saturated
What does a right shift in the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve cause?
Raised p50, lower oxygen affinity
What causes a right shift in the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve?
Increased pCO2
Increased temperature
Increased 2,3 DPG
Decreased pH (more acidic)
Haemoglobin affinity for O2 increases
What does a left shift in the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve cause?
Lower p50, higher oxygen affinity