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70-year-old female patient moves from low elevation to higher elevation…
70-year-old female patient moves from low elevation to higher elevation and is and the emergency room for difficulty breathing. Examination reveals that she developed a viral infection of the lungs. She has fast shallow breathing and a wet, wheezing cough. Fluid in the lungs is called pneumonia.
Upstream
Pneumonia is caused by a viral infection that causes the alveoli in the lungs to become inflamed or filled with fluid or puss.
Effects of Pneumonia on the body include shortness of breath , wet coughing, wheezing, and fever.
Fluid in the alveoli can effect gas exhange in the lungs by prohibiting exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide . Excess fluid can also seep into the blood vessels through the walls of the alveoli
an elderly patient is at more risk of developing pneumonia due to the lungs functionality decreasing with aging. abnormal environment conditions such as high altitude can have a greater effect on an elders lungs , effects include sever pulmonary edemaand lower than normal hemoglobin saturation levels.
Background
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Boyles law
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at constant temperature, the pressure of a gas varies inversely with its volume
P1V1 =P2V2
P is the pressure of gas, V Is its volume , and subscripts 1 and 2 represent the initial and resulting conditions .
Gases always fill their container. in a large container, the molecules in a given amount of gas will be far apart and the pressure will be low, but if the volume of the container is reduced, the gas molecules will be forced closer together and the pressure will rise.
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Henrys law
States that when a gas is in contact with a liquid, the gas will dissolve in the liquid in proportion to its partial pressure.
The greater the the concentration of particular gas in the gas phase, the more and the faster that gas will go into solution in the liquid
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External respiration
During external respiration, dark red blood flowing through the pulmonary circuit is transformed into the scarlet river that is returned to the heart for distribution by systemic arteries all body tissues.
This color changes is due to O2 uptake and binding of hemoglobin in red blood cells, but CO2 exchange is occurring equally fast
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Internal respiration
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O2 moves rapidly fro blood into tissues until equilibrium is reached. At the same time, CO2 moves quickly along its pressure gradient into blood.
The gas exchanges that occur between blood and alveoli and between blood and tissue cells take place by simple diffusion.
They are driven by the partial pressure gradients of O2 and CO2 that exist on the opposite sides of the exchange membranes.
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High altitude
Most people live between sea level and an altitude of approximately 8000 feet. in this range, differences in atmospheric pressure are not great enough to cause healthy people any problems when they spend brief periods in higher altitudes.
If you travel quickly from sea level to elevations above 8000ft, where atmospheric pressure and Po2 are lower, your body responds with symptoms of acute mountain sickness
AMS which causes headaches, shortness of breath, nausea, and dizziness. In severe cases of AMS, lethal pulmonary and cerebral edema may occur.
When you move on long-term basis from sea level to the mountains, your body makes respiratory and hematopoietic adjustments via an adaptive response called Acclimatization
When blood O2 levels decline, the kidneys produce more erythropoietin, which stimulates bone marrow production of RBCS. This phase of acclimatization, which occurs slowly, provides long term compensation fro living at higher altitudes.
Downstream
Moving to a higher altitude in a fast period of time can effect the respiratory system of the patient.
Effects on her respiration include shortness of breath, mucus build up, and infection.
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