Respiratory: Compliance Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Respiratory: Compliance Deck (6)
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1
Q

What is lung compliance?

A

A measure of elasticity and ‘stretch’ - volume changer per unit pressure change

2
Q

What are some factors than decrease compliance?

A

Supine or prone position - reduced AP motion
Restrictive pathologies eg fibrosis
High position of diaphragm in obesity/pregnancy

3
Q

What is the role of surfactant?

A

Surfactant reduces surface tension by breaking the H bonds, making the lungs easier to inflate - increases compliance.
It is produced by type 2 alveolar cells (pneumocyte)

It stops alveoli collapsing into each other

4
Q

What happens to the pressure inside a bubble when the radius increases?

A

The pressure decreases, therefore if a big bubble is connected to a small bubble then the pressure will flow from high pressure to low pressure and the small bubbles will collapse into the big bubble.

5
Q

What is infant respiratory distress syndrome?

A

Babies born less than 36 weeks have too little surfactant so their breathing and gas exchange in compromised.

6
Q

What region of the airways has the highest resistance?

A

Although the small airways have higher resistance, this is decreased by there being lots of airways in parallel.
Therefore the large airways have the highest resistance.

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