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70 year old woman has difficulty breathing (Downstream effects…
70 year old woman has difficulty breathing
Background Information
Lung Anatomy
Trachea: air passage way; "windpipe"; divides the right and left bronchi
Bronchial tree
Right/Left main bronchi
Lobar (Secondary) Bronchi
Segmental (Tertiary) Bronchi
Bronchioles
Terminal bronchioles
Respiratory bronchioles
Alveolar ducts
Alveolar Sacs
Contain clusters of aveoli
Type I alveolar cells; forms majority of the alveolar walls
Type II alveolar cells: secrete surfactant and antimicrobial proteins
Pleural Cavity: produce lubricating fluid and compartmentalize lungs
partial pleura lines the thoracic cavity
visceral pleura covers external lung surfaces
Respiratory Physiology at the alveoli Level
Respiratory membrane: blood air barrier that consists of alveolar and capillary walls along with their fused basement membranes
Gas exchange across membrane through simple diffusion
Oxygen diffuses from alveolus into capillaries where red blood cells oxygenated
Carbon dioxide diffuses from blood to alveolus where expired
Surrounded by fine elastic fibers and pulmonary capillaries
Contains alveolar macrophages that keep alveolar surfaces sterile
Gas Laws
Boyle's Law: pressure of gas is inversely proportional to gas volume
Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures: Total pressure exerted by mixture of gases is equal to the sum of partial pressures exerted by each gas
Henry's 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
Concepts of partial pressure
Partial pressure = pressure exerted by each gas in a mixture
Partial pressure is directly proportional to its percentage in a mixture
In high altitudes, partial pressure declines
In lower altitudes (below sea level) partial pressure increases
Effects of inflammation on the respiratory system
Rhinitis: inflammation of nasal mucosa
Infection spreads from nose to throat to chest
Laryngitis: inflammation of the vocal cords
Causes the vocal cords to swell, interfering with vibrations; mostly caused by viral infections
Pleurisy: inflammation of the pleura; often results in pnemonia
inflamed pleura become rough, resulting in friction and stabbing pain with each breath
Upstream causes
elderly woman
moved to a higher altitude
Presence of a viral infection: can cause pneumonia
Downstream effects
Respiratory efficiency decreases with old age
when moving to a place with a higher altitude the body has to acclimate with the new pressure change
Viral infection: causes coughing, wheezing
accumulation of fluid in the lungs causes exert pressure, hindering breathing
If left untreated can cause pneumonia
If the bronchioles are plugged, which can lead to pneumonia, the lung could collapse