Week 1

Question 1

To what extent do road traffic crashes contribute to injury-related death/disability in Australia?

Question 2

To what extent do road traffic crashes contribute to injury-related death/disability internationally?

Question 3

What is respiratory failure?

Answer 3

Respiratory failure results from inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system such that arterial oxygen and/or carbon dioxide cannot be kept at normal levels.

Question 4

Explain respiratory failure with reference to the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve.

Question 5

What causes low arterial oxygen pressure (hypoxemia)?

Answer 5

1. ventilation-perfusion mismatch
2. hypoventilation
3. shunts

Question 6

Explain the relationship between ventilation and oxygen/carbon dioxide levels.

Answer 6

When ventilation is sufficient, the partial pressure of oxygen in the alveoli remains high.

Whevn ventilation is insufficient, the partial pressure of oxygen in the alveoli drops.

Without a large difference in the partial pressure of oxygen between the alveoli and the blood, oxygen does not perfuse.

Question 7

What is the location and function of the peripheral chemoreceptors?

Answer 7

The peripheral chemoreceptors are located in the carotid bodies and the aortic bodies.

The peripheral chemoreceptors are sensitive to arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide, and blood pH.

Question 8

What is the location and function of the central chemoreceptors?

Answer 8

The central chemoreceptors are located near the ventral surface of the medulla, close to the site of exit of the ninth and tenth cranial nerves.

The central chemoreceptors are sensitive to changed in pH of nearby cebrospinal fluid that are indicative of altered oxygen/carbon dioxide available to the brain.

Question 9

What is hypoxemic respiratory failure?

Answer 9

Hypoxemic respiratory failure occurs when oxygen levels are low but carbon dioxide levels are close to normal in the blood.

Question 10

What is hypercapnic respiratory failure?

Answer 10

Hypercapnic respiratory failure occurs when carbon dioxide levels are high but oxygen levels are close to normal in the blood.

Question 11

What is shared decision making?

Answer 11

Shared decision making is where clinicians and patients integrate the patient’s values, goals and concerns with the best avilable evidence about benefits, risks and uncertainties of treatment, in order to achieve informed decisions.

Question 12

What is a pneumothorax?

Answer 12

A pneumothorax (collapsed lung) occurs when air leaks into the space between the lung and the chest wall and pushes on the lung.

Question 13

What are the symptoms of a pneumothorax?

Answer 13

The symptoms of a pneumothorax are sudden chest pain and shortness of breath.

Question 14

What are the causes of a pneumothorax?

Answer 14

Causes of a pneumothorax include chest injury, lung disease, ruptured air blisters, or mechanical ventilation.

Question 15

What is the difference between acuteand chronic respiratory failure?

Answer 15

Acute respiratory failure is a short-term condition, which develops suddenly and is treated as a medical emergency.

Chronic respiratory failure is an ongoing condition, which develops over time and may be treated long-term at home.

Question 16

What is acute respiratory failure?

Answer 16

Acute respiratory failure occurs when fluid build up in the alveoli and oxygen cannot perfuse into the blood, resulting in organs not getting enough oxygen to function.

Question 17

What is chronic respiratory failure?

Answer 17

Chronic respiratory failure occurs when the tubes that carry air to the lungs become narrow and damaged, limiting oxygen movement into and carbon dioxide movement out of the body.

Question 18

What are some chronic respiratory diseases?

Answer 18

Chronic respiratory diseases inclue chronic obstructive pumonary disease (COPD), astha, occupational lung diseases and pulmonary hypertension.

Question 19

What are some lung function tests?

Answer 19

Lung function tests include spirometry, peak flow, gas diffusion, body plethysmography, inhalation challenge, bronchial provocation, 6 minute walk test, and arterial blood gases.

Question 20

What is spirometry?

Answer 20

Spirometry measures the the voume and/or speed of air that can e inhaled and exhaled. It is helpful in assessing breathing patterns that identify conditions.

Question 21

What is lung elastic recoil?

Answer 21

Elastic recoil is the ease with which the lung rebounds after having been stretched by inhalation.

Question 22

How does intrapleural pressure change during inhaltaion/exhalation?

Answer 22

With inhalation, the intrapleural pressure of the lungs decreases.

WIth expiration (relaxation of the diaphragm), the intrapleural pressure of the lungs is regained and the lngs recoil.

Question 23

What is intrapleural pressure?

Answer 23

Intrapleural pressure is the the pressure within the pleural cavity.

Question 24

What is the pleural cavity?

Answer 24

The pleural cavity is the thin fluid-filled space between the two pumonary pleurae, visceral and parietal, of the lung.

Question 25

How is lung volume measured?

Question 26

What is whistle blowing?

Answer 26

A