West Respiratory Phys Flashcards
List other functions of the lung besides gas exchange
Metabolizes some compounds, filters unwanted materials from the circulation, acts as a reservoir for blood
Fick’s law of diffusion?
The amount of gas that moves across a sheet of tissue is proportional to the area of the sheet but inversely proportional to its thickness
V = A/T x D x (P1-P2) where A = area, T = thickness, D - diffusion constant, P1, P2 = partial pressure of gas on either side of sheet
How thick is the blood-gas barrier?
3 micrometers
About how many alveoli in the human lung? How thick are they?
About 500 million; each is 1/3 mm diameter
Describe the airways in terms of large structures–>smaller structures using the terms trachea, alveoli, etc
Trachea–>R&L mainstem bronchi–>lobar bronchi–>segmental bronchi–>terminal bronchioles–>respiratory bronchioles–>alveolar ducts–>alveolar sacs
What components of the airway are part of the conducting zone? Transitional and respiratory zones?
Conducting- trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, terminal bronchiolesTransitional/respiratory- respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts, alveolar sacs
Describe the diffusion path from alveolar gas to the interior of the erythrocyte
See pg 3Layer of surfactant–>alveolar epithelium–>interstitium–>capillary endothelium–>plasma
What is the function of the conducting airways?
Lead inspired air to the gas-exchanging regions of the lung (example is bronchi)They make up the anatomic dead space b/c they don’t participate in gas exchange
What helps increase the volume in the thoracic cavity during inspiration?
Contraction of diaphragm, intercostal muscles raising the ribs
Why does inhaled dust frequently settle in the terminal bronchioles?
Because the velocity of gas falls rapidly in the region of the terminal bronchioles
A normal breath of 500 ml requires how much distending pressure for the lung?
<3 cm h2o
T/F- Initially the pulmonary arteries, veins, and bronchi are far apart but become closer together towards the periphery of the lung?
False- they become further apart towards the periphery
What is the diameter of a capillary segment in the lung?
about 7-10 micrometers, just big enough for a RBC
What are some reasons why the capillaries in the lung can be easily damaged?
Extremely thin, inflation of the lung can raise the wall stresses of the capillaries and cause structural changes– this can cause leakage of plasma and even RBC into alveolar spaces
What is the function of surfactant?
Dramatically lowers the surface tension of the alveolar lining layer- increases stability of alveoli, although collapse of small airways is still possible
Mechanism of filtering out particles in the different areas of the airways?
Nose- filters out large particlesConducting airways- filters small particles via mucociliary ladder into epiglottis, where they are swallowedAlveoli- no mucociliary ladder; macrophages engulf the particles and they are removed via lymphatics or blood flow
What is functional residual capacity?
Volume of gas in the lung after normal expiration
Definition of total ventilation?
Total volume of air leaving the lung each minute (volume of each breath x RR in bpm)
What does Boyle’s law state?
Pressure x volume is constant at constant temperature (P1 x V1) = (P2 x V2)
Describe the alveolar ventilation equation
Va=[Vco2/Pco2] x K
The partial pressure of CO2 is proportional to the fractional concentration of the gas in the alveoli, or PCO2=FCO2 x K, where K is a constant
How do you measure dead space ? (what equation/method?)
Bohr’s method
[VD/VT] = [PACO2-PECO2] / PACO2
*E=mixed expired, A=alveolar
T/F: Ventilation per unit volume is greater near the bottom of the lung as opposed to the top of the lung?
True
T/F: In the lateral position, the dependent lung is best ventilated?
True
[Mult Choice]
Concerning the blood-gas barrier of the human lung:
A. The thinnest part of the blood-gas barrier is about 3 micrometers thick
B. The total area of the blood-gas barrier is about 1 square meter
C. About 10% of the area of the alveolar wall is occupied by capillaries
D. If the pressure in the capillaries rises to unphysiologically high levels, the blood-gas barrier can be damaged
E. O2 crosses the blood-gas barrier by active transport
D
How much more rapidly does CO2 diffuse through lung tissue (as compared to O2) and why?
It diffuses about 20 times more rapidly than O2 because it has a higher solubility but not a very different molecular weight. The rate of transfer of a gas is proportional to a diffusion constant, which depends on the properties of the tissue and the particular gas. The constant is proportional to the solubility of the gas and inversely proportional to the square root of the molecular weight.
What type of gas is diffusion limited and what does this mean?
Carbon monoxide- the amount of carbon monoxide that gets into the blood is limited by the diffusion properties of the blood-gas barrier and not by the amount of blood available; a large amount of this gas can be taken up by the cell without a resultant increase in partial pressure in the blood (because of the tight bond that forms between it and hemoglobin)
What type of gas is perfusion limited and what does this mean?
Nitrous oxide- partial pressure of nitrous oxide rises rapidly when it moves into the blood because it does not combine with hemoglobin; the amount of nitrous oxide in the blood has reached that of alveolar gas by the time the rbc is only 1/10 of the way through the capillary, then no more nitrous oxide is transferred
Is oxygen diffusion or perfusion limited in normal health?
Normally, it is perfusion limited like nitric oxide; the pO2 virtually reaches that of alveolar gas when the RBC is about 1/3 the way along the capillary
In what situation would O2 be diffusion limited?
When the diffusion properties of the lungs are impaired (thickening of blood-gas barrier). Blood PO2 does not reach the alveolar value by the end of the capillary
What are the two stages of uptake of O2 (or CO) to the RBC?
- Diffusion through the blood-gas barrier (including the plasma and RBC interior)
- Reaction with hemoglobin
What are the normal main pulmonary artery pressures?
Systolic- 25 mm Hg
Mean- 15 mm Hg
Diastolic- 8 mm Hg
What are the normal pressures in the LA/LV/RA/RV/aorta?
LA- 5 mm Hg LV- 120 RA- 2 RV- 25 Aorta- 100
T/F: The walls of the pulmonary artery and its branches are thick with a large amount of smooth muscle?
False-Thin walls because the pressures in these vessels is very low; no smooth muscle needed because the blood is staying in the lungs and does not need to be pumped to organs that are far above the level of the heart
Define transmural pressure
The pressure difference between the inside and outside of the capillaries
What happens to the large vessels (MPA, for example) as the lung expands?
They are pulled open by the radial traction of the elastic lung parenchyma that surrounds them. This leads to low pressure around them (even lower than intrapleural pressure)
T/F: The behavior of the capillaries and the larger blood vessels in the thorax are similar?
False- they are so different they are often referred to as alveolar & extra-alveolar vessels
What is the difference between alveolar and extra-alveolar vessels in terms of pressure and give an example of each?
Alveolar: capillaries and slightly larger vessels in the corners of the alveolar walls
- Their caliber is determined by relationship between alveolar pressure and pressure within them
- Can be compressed with increased alveolar pressure
Extra-alveolar: arteries and veins that run through the lung parenchyma
- Their caliber is determined by lung volume b/c this determines the expanding pull on their walls
- Not affected by increased alveolar pressure
Write the equation for vascular resistance
Vascular resistance= (input pressure-output pressure) / blood flow
What is a normal pulmonary vascular resistance?
1.7 mm Hg/liter/min
What two mechanisms are responsible for the decreased pulmonary vascular resistance when increased arterial or venous pressure?
- Recruitment
2. Distension
Describe recruitment & distension of pulmonary vessels
- Recruitment: As pulmonary pressure rises, capillaries that are normally closed open; this is the chief mechanism for lowering pulm vascular resistance
- Distension: Widening of individual capillary segments; occurs at higher vascular pressures
What is the critical opening pressure?
Describes the pressure at which pulmonary artery pressure must be raised above downstream pressure before any flow occurs through the extra-alveolar vessels; this is because the extra alveolar vessels have smooth muscle and elastic tissue that resist distension and reduce the caliber of the vessels when lung volume is low
P 42
Name some drugs that increase pulmonary vascular resistance
Histamine, serotonin, norepi
Name drugs that can relax smothuc pulmonary ciculation
Acetylcholine, isoproteronol
T/F: The lung has equal amounts of blood flow to all the parts of the pulmonary circulation
False- Blood flow decreases almost linearly from bottom to top in upright human lung; reaches very low values at the apex- it is affected by posture and exercise
What type of pressure influences the uneven distribution of blood flow in the lung?
Hydrostatic pressure- the difference in pressure between top and bottom of lung is ~23 mm Hg, which is a large pressure difference for such a low pressure system
Describe “zone 1” of the lung aka anatomic dead space
Does not occur under normal conditions because pulmonary arterial pressure is just sufficient to raise blood to the top of the lung. If arterial pressure is reduced or alveolar pressure is raised, zone 1 may occur. In this zone, pulmonary artery pressure falls below alveolar pressure and squishes the capillaries, occluding blood flow
Describe “zone 2” of the lung
In this zone pulmonary arterial pressure increases b/c the hydrostatic effect and now exceeds alveolar pressure. Venous pressure is still less than alveolar pressure which leads to pressure-flow characteristics.
Describe “zone 3” of the lung
Venous pressure>alveolar pressure; flow is determined by arterial-venous pressure difference. There is increased blood flow down this region of the lung caused by distension of the capillaries
True or False: Expiration is a passive process during rest
True. The lung and chest wall are elastic and tend to return to their equilibrium positions after being expanded during inspiration
What is hysteresis?
This is the phenomenon of a difference in the pressure-volume curve on inspiration v. expiration. The lung volume at any given pressure during deflation is larger than during inflation.
The slope of the pressure-volume curve is also known as….
Compliance = Change in Volume / Change in Pressure
A reduced lung compliance can be seen in what conditions?
Increase of fibrous tissue in the lungs, pulmonary edema, atelectasis, and with high pulmonary venous pressure
An increased lung compliance can be seen in what conditions?
Pulmonary emphysema, and in the normal aging lung due to changes in the elastic tissue of the lung
What cells make surfactant and what is DPPC?
Surfactant is made by type II pneumocytes. Surfactant is a phospholipid of which dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) is an important constituent. DPPC is synthesized in the lung from fatty acids.
How does surfactant reduce surface tension?
The molecules of DPPC are hydrophobic at one end and hydrophilic at the other. When they align themselves, the intermolecular repulsive forces oppose the normal attractive forces between the liquid molecules normally responsible for surface tension.
Name 3 physiological advantages of surfactant
- A low surface tension in the alveoli increase the compliance of the lung and reduces the work of expanding it with each breath.
- They promote stability of the alveoli by reducing the tendency of small alveoli to empty into large alveoli.
- They help to keep the alveoli dry by reducing the hydrostatic pressure in the tissue outside the capillaries.
What is Poiseuille’s law for laminar flow?
Volume flow rate = (Driving pressure * Pi * radius^4)/ (8 *viscosity * length)
What is Reynold’s number and what is the equation for it?
Reynold’s number determines whether flow will be laminar or turbulent. A value greater than 2000 is most consistent with turbulent flow.
Re = 2rvd / n
where r is radius, v is average velocity, d is density, and n is viscosity.
What is the major site of resistance in the bronchial tree?
The medium-size bronchi contribute the most to airway resistance.
What % of oxygen consumption is done during quiet breathing?
Less than 5%
What is Laplace’s law?
Pressure = (2 x surface tension) / radius
Pressure is inversely proportional to the radius for the same surface tension
Is 4 x surface tension / radius if the sphere is a bubble
What is Cheyne-Stokes respiration?
Periods of apnea of 10-20 seconds, followed by equal periods of hyperventilation when the tidal volume gradually waxes and then wanes. This is seen in patients at high altitude (especially during sleep), it is also seen in patients with severe heart disease or brain disease.
Describe hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction
When the PO2 of alveolar gas is reduced, there is contraction of smooth muscle in the walls of small arterioles in the hypoxic region.