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Questions and Answers
What is the purpose of maintaining normal gas exchange in the respiratory system?
What is the purpose of maintaining normal gas exchange in the respiratory system?
To provide O2 to and remove CO2 from the blood.
What is dyspnea?
What is dyspnea?
Shortness of breath.
Which of the following are primary categories of dyspnea?
Which of the following are primary categories of dyspnea?
What is orthopnea?
What is orthopnea?
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What differentiates paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND) from orthopnea?
What differentiates paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND) from orthopnea?
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What does the presence of sputum often suggest?
What does the presence of sputum often suggest?
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Chest pain caused by respiratory system diseases is usually referred pain from the visceral pleura.
Chest pain caused by respiratory system diseases is usually referred pain from the visceral pleura.
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What are the two standard views of a Chest X-ray?
What are the two standard views of a Chest X-ray?
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What advantage does high-resolution CT have over traditional CT scans?
What advantage does high-resolution CT have over traditional CT scans?
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Helical CT technology results in slower scans with improved contrast enhancement.
Helical CT technology results in slower scans with improved contrast enhancement.
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Study Notes
Introduction
- An adequate volume of air must pass through the lungs to maintain gas exchange to the tissues
- At rest, a normal person breathes ~500 mL of air per breath at a frequency of 12-16 times per minute, resulting in a ventilation of 6 to 8 L/min
- The alveolar surface area (~70 m2) enables efficient blood-gas diffusion within the thoracic cavity
Symptoms
- Dyspnea:
- Subjective feeling of shortness of breath
- Classified as air hunger, increased effort or work of breathing, or chest tightness
- Upper airway obstruction can be caused by foreign bodies, tumors, edema (e.g., anaphylaxis), and stenosis
- Acute: minutes to days (laryngeal edema, acute asthma)
- Subacute: Days to weeks
- Chronic: Months to years (Chronic obstructive lung disease, chronic bronchiolitis)
Symptoms
- Orthopnea:
- Shortness of breath in the recumbent position
- Often measured by the number of pillows or the angle of elevation needed to relieve dyspnea
- Caused by increased venous return and central intravascular volume in the recumbent position
- Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND):
- Waking from sleep with dyspnea
- Similar to orthopnea but doesn't occur immediately after lying down
- Platypnea:
- Shortness of breath in the upright position
Symptoms
- Cough:
- Protective mechanism for clearing the airway
- Can be a symptom of lung disease, but not useful for differential diagnosis
- Acute cough (<3 weeks): Usually due to acute viral infection of the respiratory tract
- Subacute cough (3-8 weeks):
- Chronic cough (>8 weeks): Common causes in nonsmokers include postnasal drip, gastroesophageal reflux, and asthma
Symptoms
- Sputum:
- Suggests airway disease
- Yellow or green indicates presence of leukocytes (neutrophils or eosinophils)
- Hemoptysis:
- Can originate from airways, pulmonary parenchyma, or vasculature
- Most often due to airway diseases (e.g., bronchitis)
- Chest pain:
- Usually originates from parietal pleura involvement
- Pain can be worse on inspiration (pleuritic pain)
Diagnostic Procedures
- Chest X-ray:
- Standard views: posteroanterior (PA) and lateral
- PA: X-ray beam passes from back to front
- Lateral: Patient’s side against the film, beam directed through the patient
Diagnostic Procedures
- Computed Tomography (CT):
- Narrow beam of X-rays passes through the patient and detected by a rotating sensor
- High-resolution CT: individual image thickness reduced to 1-2 mm
- Advantages:
- Distinguishes between densities
- Accurate size assessment of lesions
- Distinguishes vascular from nonvascular structures
- Helical CT technology for faster scans, improved contrast enhancement, and thinner collimation
- Image obtained during single breath-holding maneuver for less motion artifact
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Description
This quiz explores the physiology and symptoms related to the respiratory system, including ventilation rates, gas exchange, and conditions leading to dyspnea and orthopnea. Test your understanding of normal respiratory function and common disorders affecting breathing.
