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24 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
2 Main Parts of Pulmonary System
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Upper Respiratory Tract
Lower Respiratory Tract |
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Upper Respiratory Tract
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– Nose
– Nasal Cavity – Pharynx |
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Lower Respiratory Tract
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– Larynx
– Trachea – Bronchi – Lungs |
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Trachea to bronchioles
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The trachea begins at the inferior edge of the larynx and divides into 2 bronchi which divide into smaller bronchioles that branch into the lungs forming the passageways for air.
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Right Main Stem Bronchus
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Right main stem bronchus is shorter, wider and more vertical than the left main stem bronchus.
It is the reason aspirated contents may end up in the right lung more than the left. |
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Alveoli
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The terminal parts of the bronchioles are the alveoli.
The alveoli are the functional units of the lungs being the site of gaseous exchange (O2 gets picked up by hemoglobin) 300 million alveoli in the lungs |
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Lungs
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The right lung has 3 lobes and is slightly larger than the left lung which has 2 lobes.
The lungs are separated by a mediastinum which contains the heart, trachea, esophagus, and many lymph nodes |
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The Pleural Space
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The pleura is the thin covering that protects and cushions the lungs.
It is made up of two thin layers with a very small fluid-filled space in between the layers called the pleural space. |
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Ventilation Basics
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Moving gas into and out of the lungs
During normal breathing, a volume of air is inhaled through the airways into millions of alveoli. At the alveoli it mixes with CO2-rich gas coming from the blood and then exhaled back through the airways into the atmosphere Normal cycle is about 12 breaths per minute at rest (more if excitement or exercise and more in infants) |
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Gas Exchange
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Gas exchange is the function of the lungs
It is required to remove CO2 from the blood that has been collected from the cells of the body. It is required to deliver O2 to the blood for distribution to the cells of the body |
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The “dead space”
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Gas exchange in the lungs occurs in the alveoli, not in the conducting airways that carry gas to and from the atmosphere to/from these terminal regions.
The volume of these conducting airways is called the anatomical “dead space” because it does not participate directly in gas exchange. |
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Normal Ventilation
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The body selects a combination of a tidal volume that is large enough to clear the dead space and add fresh gas to the alveoli, and at a breathing rate that assures the correct amount of ventilation is produced.
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Respiratory Disease
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Respiratory diseases affect the conduction of gas through the airways and/or the terminal regions that are directly involved in the gas exchange.
Either way, the body does not get enough O2 and/or does not eliminate CO2 adequately. |
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Common Respiratory Diseases
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Asthma
Bronchitis COPD Emphyzema Pleural Effusion Empyema Pneumothorax Hemothorax Pneumonia |
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Asthma
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When the airways react to allergens and irritants by narrowing which restricts air flow in and out of lungs.
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Bronchitis
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Acute bronchitis – viral or bacteria infection inflames that bronchial tubes and causes production of thick, yellow mucous.
Chronic bronchitis – caused by long term irritation of the bronchial tubes (3 months or longer). Constant exposure to irritants causes damage to the bronchioles |
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Emphysema
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Progressive destruction of the alveoli and the surrounding supportive tissue causing the walls of the alveoli to collapse
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COPD
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
– A chronic lung disorder that result in blocked airflow to the lungs – A combination of bronchitis and emphysema |
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Pleural Effusion
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An accumulation of fluid between the layers of the membrane the lines the outside of the lungs and chest cavity wall.
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Empyema
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An infected pleural effusion
Instead of fluid filling the pleural space, it has turned to infected pus |
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Pneumothorax
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A collection of gas or air in the pleural space
It can casue so much pressure on the lung that the lung collapses |
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Hemothorax
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Blood in the pleural space
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Pneumonia
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An inflammation of the lung caused by infection (bacterial, viral and fungal)
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Mechanical Ventilation
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A ventilator is an automatic mechanical device designed to provide all or part of the work the body must produce to move gas into and out of the lungs
When a patient is unable to ventilate on his/her own, a ventilator is needed. |