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Elderly woman with breathing difficulty (Background (Alveoli level (Cells…
Elderly woman with breathing difficulty
Background
Anatomy of lungs
Trachea
Cleans, warms, and moistens incoming air
Lungs
Parietal pleura
Visceral pleura
Main Bronchus
Conducts air into the lungs
Pulmonary artery
Carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to lungs
Pulmonary vein
Transfers oxygenated blood from lungs to heart
Bronchial tree
Air passageways connecting trachea to alveoli
Moistens, cleans, and warms incoming air
Alveoli
Main site of gas exchange
Where diffusion meets bulk flow
Larynx
Air passageway
Prevents food from entering lower respiratory tract
Alveoli level
Oxygen molecules dissolve in the wet mucous
Diffuse across the epithelial cells
Cross single layer of endothelial cells lining capillaries to enter the bloodstream
Cells found in Alveoli
Type I alveolar cells
Squamous epithelial cells
Form major part of alveolar wall
Type II alveolar cells
Cuboidal epithelial cells
Release surfactant which coats the gas-exposed alveolar surface
Also secrete antimicrobial proteins important to elements of innate immunity
Alveolar machrophages
In internal alveolar surface
consume dust, bacteria, and other debris
Gas laws
Dalton's law
Total pressure exerted by a mixture of gases is the sum of the pressures exerted independently by each gas in the mixture
Henry's law
When a gas is in contact with a liquid, the gas will dissolve in the liquid in proportion to its partial pressure
Partial pressure
The pressure exerted by each gas is directly proportional to the percentage of that gas in the gas mixture
High altitudes partial pressures decline in direct proportion to the decrease in atmospheric pressure
Going opposite direction, atmospheric pressure increases by 1 atm for each 33 feet below sea level
Effects of lung inflammation
Makes it difficult for oxygen to pass through alveoli into bloodstream
Shortness of breath
Cough
Fatigue
Upstream
Old age
Has lived in low elevation her whole life
Colorado contains fewer oxygen molecules
She may have asthma
She may smoke
Downstream
Symptoms of pneumonia
Shallow breathing
When alveoli does not work efficiently, lungs are less able to extract oxygen from air
wet wheezy coughs
Air sacs that fill with fluid or pus cause coughing
Fluid in lungs
Inflamed alveoli release fluid
Effects of factors
Old age
Causes immune system to not work as well
Not working well leaves them less able to fend off infections
If she smokes it damages natural defenses against bacteria and viruses
I not treated
Respiratory failure
Death
Can spread through the blood
Systems effected
Circulatory system
Can spread from lungs into bloodstream
Can cause organ failure if organ does not receive enough oxygen
Immune system
If immune system is weak it cannot fight back
Muscular system
Can make muscles weak and sore