VOCAB: CH 15 Airway Management, Respiration, and Artificial Ventilation Flashcards
Accessory muscles
Muscles that sometimes assist in breathing. They include the scalene muscles and the sternocleidomastoid, deep muscles in the neck and thorax, posterior neck and back muscles, pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, and abdominal muscles
Alveoli
Minute air sacs in the lungs through which gas exchange takes place between alveolar air and pulmonary capillary blood
Anatomic dead space
The volume of the conducting airways from the external environment down to the terminal bronchioles
Apneustic center
A group of neurons in the pons that has a stimulatory effect on the inspiratory center
Atelectasis
An abnormal condition characterized by the collapse of lung tissue. It prevents respiratory exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
Atmospheric pressure
The pressure of the gas around us, which varies with differences in altitude. At sea level, it is 760 mm Hg
Bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP)
Airway support that combines partial ventilatory support and continuous positive airway pressure. It allows the pressure to vary during each breath cycle
Bohr effect
The property of hemoglobin by which an increasing concentration of protons and/or carbon dioxide reduces the oxygen affinity for hemoglobin
Boyle’s law
A gas law that states pressure and volume are inversely related, assuming a constant temperature
Capnography
The combination of a capnometric reading (numeric value) and a capnogram (graph/drawing)
Carina
A downward and backward projection of the lowest tracheal cartilage. It forms a ridge between the openings of the right and left primary bronchi
Compliance
The ease with which the lungs and thorax expand during pressure changes. The greater the compliance, the easier the expansion
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
Airway support that transmits positive pressure into the airways of a spontaneously breathing patient throughout the respiratory cycle at a constant pressure
Dalton’s law
A law stating that the total pressure exerted by a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressure of gases
Diaphragm
The dome-shaped, musculofibrous partition that separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities
Diffusion
The process by which solid, particulate matter in a fluid moves from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration, resulting in an even distribution of the particles in the fluid
Expiration
Breathing out (exhalation); normally a passive process
Expiratory reserve volume
The amount of gas that can be forcefully exhaled after expiration of the normal tidal volume
External respiration
The transfer (diffusion) of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the inspired air and pulmonary capillaries
Extubation
Removal of an endotracheal tube
Fick principle
The assumption that the amount of oxygen delivered to an organ is equal to the amount of oxygen consumed by that organ plus the amount of oxygen carried away from the organ. This principle is used to determine cardiac output
Gag reflex
A normal neural response triggered by touching the soft palate or posterior pharynx
Henry’s law
A law stating that at a constant temperature, the amount of gas that dissolves in a liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas in equilibrium with that liquid
Hering-Breuer reflex
A reflex in which afferent impulses from stretch receptors in the lungs arrest inspiration. Expiration then occurs. Inflation and deflation reflexes are triggered to prevent overinflation of the lungs
Hypocapnia
A state of diminished carbon dioxide in the blood; also called hypocarbia
Hypoxemia
A lower than normal oxygen content of the blood as measured in an arterial blood sample
Hypoxia
A state of decreased oxygen content at the tissue level
Hypoxic drive
The low arterial oxygen pressure stimulus to respiration that is mediated through the carotid bodies
Inadvertent hyperventilation
Excessive ventilation that is thought to result in increased intrathoracic pressure and decreased coronary perfusion pressure; also known as rescuer hyperventilation
Inspiration
The act of drawing air into the lungs
Inspiratory reserve volume
The maximum volume of air that can be inspired after inspiration of tidal volume
Intercostal muscles
Internal and external muscles between the ribs that contract to raise the ribs, thereby, increasing the front-to-back (anterior-posterior) and side-to-side dimensions of the chest cavity
Internal respiration
The transfer (diffusion) of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the capillary red blood cells and the tissue cells
Intrapulmonic pressure
The pressure of the gas in the alveoli
Intrathoracic pressure
The pressure in the pleural space; also known as the intrapleural pressure
Left main stem bronchus
One of two main bronchi that branch from the trachea at the level of the carina
Lobules
Small lobes or subdivisions of a lobe
Lower airway
Airway structures below the glottis
Mediastinum
The area of the body that includes the trachea, esophagus, thymus, heart, and great vessels
Minute volume
The amount of gas inhaled or exhaled in 1 minute. It is found by multiplying the tidal volume by the respiratory rate
Oxyhemoglobin
Oxygenated hemoglobin
Partial pressure
The pressure exerted by a single gas
Phrenic nerve
A nerve composed mostly of motor nerve fibers that produce contractions of the diaphragm; also provides sensory innervation for many components of the mediastinum and pleura
Physiological dead space
The sum of the anatomic dead space plus the volume of any nonfunctional alveoli
Pneumotaxic center
A group of neurons in the pons that have an inhibitory effect on the inspiratory center
Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)
Airway support that maintains a degree of positive pressure at the end of exhalation
Pressure gradient
The force produced by differences between atmospheric pressure, intrapulmonic pressure, and intrathoracic pressure
Pressure support
A spontaneous mode of ventilation in which a ventilator delivers support with the preset pressure value for the patient’s own respiratory rate
Pulmonary surfactant
Certain lipoproteins that reduce the surface tension of pulmonary fluids, allowing the exchange of gases in the alveoli of the lungs and contributing to the elasticity of pulmonary tissue
Pulmonary ventilation
The movement of air into and out of the lungs. This process brings oxygen into the lungs and removes carbon dioxide
Pulsus paradoxus
An abnormal decrease in systolic blood pressure in which it drops more than 10 to 15 mm Hg during inspiration compared with expiration
Rapid sequence induction (RSI)
The administration of a potent sedative or induction agent and a neuromuscular blocking agent at the same time to achieve optimal intubation conditions in less than 1 minute
Residual volume
The volume of air remaining in the lungs after a maximum expiratory effort
Respiration
The process of molecular exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body’s tissues
Respiratory membrane
The membrane in the lungs, formed by the wall of an alveolus and the wall of a capillary, across which gas exchange with the blood occurs
Right main stem bronchus
One of the two main bronchi that branch from the trachea at the level of the carina
Secondary bronchi
Branches from a primary bronchus that conduct air to each lobe of the lungs
Sternal angle
The point at which the manubrium joins the body of the sternum; also know as the angle of Louis
Surfactant
Lipoproteins that reduce the surface tension of pulmonary fluids
Terminal bronchioles
The ends of the conducting airways
Tidal volume
The volume of air inspired or expired in a single, resting breath
Torr
A non-Systeme international unit of pressure defined as 1 standard atmosphere divided by 760, or about 1 mm Hg
Total pressure
The combination of pressures exerted by all the gases in any mixture of gas
Upper airway
Airway structures above the glottis
Vallecula
A furrow between the glossoepiglottic folds on each side of the posterior oropharynx
Ventilation
The mechanical movement of air into and out of the lungs that makes respiration possible
ventilation/perfusion mismatch
Any condition leading to interference of airflow at the alveolar level or blood flow at the pulmonary capillary level
Vocal cords
The two folds of elastic ligaments covered by mucous membrane that stretch from the thyroid cartilage to the arytenoid cartilage. Vibration of the vocal cords is responsible for voice production. Also known as the true vocal cords
