Respiratory System Flashcards
(362 cards)
What is the concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
Oxygen - 0.209 (20.9%)
Carbon dioxide - 0.0004 (0.04%)
What is the Partial pressure of oxygen in alveolar air, arterial blood and mixed venous blood, of a healthy subject with [Hb] 15g/dl?
Alveolar air (PAO2) = 13.3kPa Arterial blood (PaO2) = 13.3kPa Mixed venous blood (PVO2) = 5.3kPa
What is the Partial pressure of carbon oxide in alveolar air, arterial blood and mixed venous blood, of a healthy subject with [Hb] 15g/dl?
Alveolar air (PACO2) = 5.3kPa Arterial blood (PaCO2) = 5.3kPa Mixed venous blood (PVCO2) = 6.1kPa
What are the types of Respiratory diseases?
Airways diseases:
- Localised obstruction: e.g. foreign bodies, upper airway tumours, thyroid enlargement, obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome
- Generalised obstruction: e.g. Asthma, C.O.P.D, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis
Small lung/Restrictive disorders:
- Disease within lungs: e.g. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, sardoicodosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, asbestosis
- Disease outside lungs: e.g. Pleural effusions, mesothelioma, pnerumothorax, Scoliosis, respiratory muscle weakness, obesity
Infections: e.g. Tuberculosis, infective bronchitis, Pneumonia/Empyema
Pulmonary vascular disorders: e.g. pulmonary emboli, pulmonary hypertension
What are the symptoms generally associated with respiratory disease?
- Breathlessness
- Cough
- Sputum production
- Haemoptysis (coughing blood)
- Chest discomfort
- Wheeze or musical breathing
- Stridor
- Hoarseness
- Snoring history/daytime sleepiness
- (weight loss, anorexia, fever)
How much Oxygen is need by a resting adult?
250ml/minute
Outline gas exchange.
- Action of breathing delivers warmed, humidified air to specialised gas exchange surfaces
- The heart delivers de-oxygenated blood to the pulmonary capillaries
- Gas exchange between air and blood occurs by diffusion
What is the process of diagnosis?
- Symptoms
- Take a history
- Examine respiratory system
What is the pathway of air in the respiratory system?
- Nasal/oral cavity
- Pharynx
- Larynx
- Trachea
- Bronchi
- Lungs
What is the function of mucosa?
To warm and humidify the air before it reaches the lungs
What is are the nerves supplying the nasal cavity?
- No motor only sensory
Cranial nerve V (trigeminal)
- Two branches: opthalmic and maxillary division
- General sensation e.g. temperature, irritation
Olfactory nerves:
- Top and back of cavity
- Near holes which allow nerves to pass into the skull to the olfactory tract
- Only sensing smell (chemical)
What are the paranasal air sinuses?
- Frontal sinus (in frontal bone, superior to eyes)
- Sphenoidal sinus (in sphenoid bone, at posterior and middle)
- Ethmoid air cells (underneath base of anterior skull, medial wall of orbit)
- Maxillary sinus (in cheek) Biggest
What is the function of a para-nasal air sinus?
- Lined with ciliated epithelium
- Drain into the nasal cavity
- Only if injected/clogged are they noticable e.g. opening of maxillary sinus is at the top which isn’t effective
- Important for lightening the skull and keeping strength
- Act as heat insulation at high and low temperatures
- Act as resonating chambers for the voice
- Physically protective for brain
What is the pharynx?
Area where the nasal and oral cavity come together, before the separation of the larynx and oesophagus.
Split into three:
- Nasopharynx: between base of skull and soft palate
- Oropharynx: between soft palate and superior border of epiglotis
- Laryngopharynx: beteen epiglotis and just before larynx
Describe the larynx.
- In anterior of neck
- Made of thyroid cartilage superiorly (thought thyroid is below it), then Cricothyroid ligament (where emergency tracheotomy is performed) before the Cricoid cartilage. After this it reaches the trachea.
- Thyroid has no posterior, but Cricoid is a whole ring
- Cartilage controls the vocal ligaments, opening and shutting, determining what enters into the larynx (air)
How is sound made?
- Air is forced between the vocal ligaments in the larynx.
- Speed determines volume, distance between ligaments is pitch
- Words are made with the mouth, teeth, tongue etc
Describe the trachea.
- Held open by cartilage C-shaped rings, and has soft tissue posteriorly to allow the opening of the oesophagus behind it
- About 20 rings holding it open at all times
- Rings allow flexibility
Describe the tracheobronchial tree.
- Starts at the end of the larynx
- Bifurcates at carina at T4/5
- Unequal bifurcation due to slight right sided position (because of aorta)
- The primary bronchus on left is slightly longer, and right more vertical and shorter (clinical relevance for foreign objects)
- Primary divides into secondary which goes into the lobes
- Secondary divides into tertiary which goes into bronchopulmonary segments
- Cartilage in all bronchi though less and less
- After tertiary, bronchioles which have smooth muscle walls so can open and close. Terminal bronchioles end in alveolar sacs
Describe the dome of the diaphragm.
- Dome comes up to 5th intercostal space/level of male nipple (for someone lying down)
- But attached to the costal margin
What is the pleura made up of?
- Visceral (on the lung)
- Parietal (on the chest wall)
What areas are available to the lung for expansion?
- Right lung: Area inferior to its base (larger at posterior)
- Left lung: Area inferior to its base (larger at posterior) and area in front of the heart
What enters/exits the lung at the hilum?
- Pulmonary artery
- Pulmonary vein
- Lymph vessels and nodes
- Bronchi
- Pulmonary plexus (autonomic nerves)
- Bronchiole arteries
What is a bronchopulmonary segment?
The smallest functional unit of the lung. (each receive discrete air and blood supply)
Right lung: 10
Left lung: 8/9 (can be fusion)
Where does gas exchange take place?
Alveoli