Pathophysiology Daily Quizzes for Exam 3
High output heart failure occurs when the blood volume is normal and the heart
is beating normally. How can heart failure occur?
Remember that heart failure means the heart is not
pumping enough blood to meet the metabolic needs of the body. Conditions that
raise that metabolic demand can cause this, such as hyperthyroidism, fever, and
in a related fashion, septicemia.
Shock :
Lung Review: (stolen from A&P I)
The exchange of gases between the
blood and the tissues is called what? internal
respiration
What is another term for ventilation? Breathing -
moving air in and out of the lungs
Why (chemically speaking) do we need oxygen?
Remember that it accepts electrons at the end of the electron transport chain,
and also picks up two hydrogen ions to make water.
Why do we sound funny when we have a cold? In addition
to warming, filtering and moistening the air we breathe, our paranasal sinuses
and nasal cavity act as resonating chambers that give our voice its
characteristic sound.
We see pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium in the nasopharynx and
trachea, but not
in the oropharynx or laryngopharynx. Why not? The last
two areas are also part of the digestive system, so rough foods (like
charbroiled hamburger) may scratch these areas . Stratified squamous epithelium
does a better job of protecting the under lying tissues against abrasion in
these areas.
Which of the cartilages that make up the larynx could you use to tell if a
decomposed body was male or female? In the male the
thyroid cartilage forms a 90 degree angle, making the “Adam’s apple” more
pronounced and making the vocal cords longer (and the voice deeper).
What is the function of the "false vocal cords"?
Along with the epiglottis, they prevent food or substances other than air, from
entering the trachea while we are swallowing.
Why does the trachea have “C” shaped rings of cartilage? If their function
is to hold the trachea open, wouldn’t “O” shaped rings be better?
The open part of the C faces posteriorly, toward the
esophagus. When a bolus of food comes down the esophagus, the esophagus can
temporarily bulge into the trachea to let the food pass.
What is the carina? This is the ridge on the inside
of the bottom of the trachea where the right and left primary bronchi branch
off. It has a very sensitive cough reflex.
You enjoy being with your best friend because he's so funny. Unfortunately, he
made you laugh while you had a small, hard candy in your mouth and you inhaled
it! Where would it probably end up? It would most
likely end up in the right lung, because the right primary bronchus is shorter,
wider and more vertical than the left, and a falling object would tend to take
the path of least resistance.
In lab, how do you tell the difference between a small bronchus and bronchiole?
Bronchi are held open by rings of cartilage.
Bronchioles do not have these rings, and so can constrict and block off air
flow, as happens in asthma.
Oh no! I’m in the lab and I have an asthma attack. I have neurotransmitters available from the
parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system. Which should I take? I should
definitely use the norepinephrine or epinephrine from the sympathetic nervous
system, because they will dilate bronchioles. If I used acetylcholine, it could
cause my bronchioles to constrict even more.
What are the membranes surrounding the lungs? The
visceral pleura is closest to the lung itself, and the parietal pleura lines the
thoracic cavity wall.
How do the right and left lung differ and why?
The right lung has three lobes and two fissures; the
left lung has two lobes and one fissure. The right lung is shorter because of
the space taken up by the liver; the left lung is long and narrow, and contains
the cardiac notch (where the heart goes) and the lingula, a little tongue-like
flap of tissue.
What three types of cells would you find in an alveoli, and what do they do?
The majority of the cells in the alveoli are the
simple squamous epithelial cells (type I) that make up part of the respiratory
membrane across which gas exchange takes place. We also find Type II cells that
produce surfactant to lower the surface tension of the water in the lungs, and
macrophages called "dust cells" that consume foreign particles and
microorganisms that reach the alveoli.
What is respiratory distress syndrome, and what can be done to help?
This is caused by a lack of surfactant production in a
premature infant; they use up all their energy trying to expand their lungs and
exhaust themselves to the point of death. We used to administer high amounts of
oxygen to these babies, but that caused other problems. Now we can give the
surfactant until the baby makes its own.
Describe the alveolar-capillary or respiratory membrane. How is it suited to
diffusion? It is made up
of two simple squamous cells, one from the alveolus and one from the capillary,
and the basement membrane between them. This is the thinnest membrane we can
make and still keep the air in the lungs and the blood in the vessels.
Describe the muscles involved in inspiration. Which one is the most important?
We normally use the external intercostal muscles and
the diaphragm. By far, contracting the diaphragm draws in the most air. When we
want to take a deeper breath, we can also use the sternocleidomastoids, scalenes
and pectoralis minor muscles.
How does expiration occur? What additional muscles are involved in forced
inhalation and in forced exhalation? Expiration is
normally a passive process - we just relax the muscles of inspiration. For a
forceful expiration we can also contract the internal intercostals and the
abdominal muscles.
Be able to calculate minute volume of respiration.
This is the amount of air a person moves in and out in one minute. Simply
multiple the tidal volume times the number of breaths per minute.
What is the medullary rhythmicity center, and what does it controll? How is it
influenced by the pneumotaxic area of the pons? This
is the area of the brain that sets the normal pattern of breathing. The
pneumotaxic area of the pons receives information from stretch receptors in the
lungs, and will over-ride and shut off inspiration before the lungs overinflate.
What influences the central chemoreceptors, and how do they respond? The
peripheral chemoreceptors?
The central chemoreceptors look for changes in carbon
dioxide and pH (which are tied together). When pH drops, we breath faster to
eliminate CO2, and when pH rises we breath more slowly. The peripheral
chemoreceptors respond to oxygen levels, but don't respond until the oxygen
level is very low.
What is hyperventilation and how does it affect blood pH? Why?
This is breathing too fast. We blow off too much carbon
dioxide, and our pH rises. This can cause changes in the brain that can cause
fainting or dizziness.
What is the normal atmospheric pressure at sea level? What do we mean by a
partial pressure?
760 mmHg. The partial pressure is the part of the
total pressure that is due to a particular gas, such as oxygen.
How does the partial pressure of a gas influence its diffusion?
Gases diffuse from areas of high partial
pressure to areas of low partial pressue.
How is oxygen transported in the blood (be specific).
Bound to the iron in the heme portion of hemoglobin.
Why is carbon monoxide dangerous? Because it binds
to the same place as oxygen, but more tightly, so it decreases the ability of
the blood to transport oxygen.
What three ways does the blood transport carbon dioxide? How is MOST of the
carbon dioxide transported?
Dissolved in plasma (only a little), bound to the globin
part of hemoglobin (23%), but most (70%) of the carbon dioxide is transported as
bicarbonate ion.
When an area of the lung becomes hypoxic, the blood vessels supplying that
area : constrict, so that blood can be sent to a part
of the lung where there is more oxygen. This is the opposite of what happens
elsewhere in the body.
The two major factors that reduce pulmonary function are:
inadequate blood flow to the lungs (hypoperfusion)
and inadequate air flow to the alveoli (hypoventilation).
Why are lung infections common in hospitals?
Factors that reduce airflow also reduce the clearance of particles from the
airways and predispose to infection; factors like: positioning, constrictive
bandages, coma, and central nervous system depression.
What are the typical signs and symptoms associated with respiratory
disorders? Cough, dyspnea and cyanosis.
What would cause a person to cough? This is usually
due to mucus or fluids accumulating in the lower respiratory tract due to
inhalation of irritating substances, lung tumors, and pulmonary edema.
Does a lack of cyanosis mean that an individual is okay?
No, in adults cyanosis is not apparent until severe
hypoxemia is present.
Does cyanosis always mean a person is hypoxic? Not
necessarily. Individuals with polycythemia may show signs of cyanosis with
adequate oxygenation.
What is respiratory failure? It is the inability of
the lungs to adequately oxygenate the blood and/or to clear it of carbon
dioxide.
When not enough oxygen gets into the alveoli, what do the capillaries of the
lung do? They constrict, which can increase the blood
pressure in the lungs, cause pulmonary edema, and heart failure.
Lung pathologies tend to affect which side of the heart?
The right side. The right side of the heart can
be thought of as the organ that comes just before the lungs as far as
circulation is concerned. (The left heart comes after the lungs.)
What characterizes airway obstruction? reduced
ventilation caused by small airway diameter, accumulation of secretions or loss
of pulmonary elastic recoil.
What is the principal feature of ARDS? Acute
pulmonary edema from capillary damage, which can arise from many etiologies.
Kidney:
Urine is concentrated by: The action of the loop of
Henle and occurs in the distal convoluted tubules and collecting ducts.
A dilute urine is formed: when ADH secretion is not
released and water is not reabsorbed from the distal convoluted tubules and
collecting ducts.
Where does filtration occur? Only in the renal
corpuscle - through the filtration membranes of the glomerulus.
What force causes fluid to leave the glomerular capillaries?
The hydrostatic or perfusion pressure of the blood.
What two forces oppose filtration? The osmotic or
oncotic pressure of the blood and the hydrostatic force of the filtrate in
Bowman's capsule.
When will the renin-angiotensin system be activated?
When the blood pressure in the afferent arteriole decreases.
When the glomerular filtration rate decreases, the plasma creatinine
concentration will: increase.
Trace the flow of filtrate through the kidneys by putting the
following in the correct order: collecting duct, Bowman's capsule, distal
convoluted tubule, loop of Henle, proximal convoluted tubule.
Bowman's capsule, proximal convoluted tubule, loop of
Henle, distal convoluted tubule, collecting duct.
You see protein in a urine sample. What is the most likely location of the
problem (be specific)?
The glomerulus- this is where the urine is filtered, and the filtration membrane
usually holds these proteins in the blood. If there is protein in the urine, it
indicates a breakdown in the filtration membrane.
The patient has difficulty concentrating urine and retaining sodium.
Where is the problem? The part of the kidney most
responsible for this would be the distal convoluted tubules and collecting
ducts, so this problem is affecting the tubules.
In general, when the kidneys are not functioning, what would you expect to
happen in the rest of the body? Hypertension, anemia,
edema, electrolyte imbalance, acidosis. Can you figure out why these conditions
occur?
Your patient is experiencing an acute onset of frequency, dysuria, groin
pain, fever and chills. You suspect either bacterial cystitis or acute
pyelonephritis. What would you look for in a urine sample that could indicate
where the problem was? Look for white cell casts -
these are white cells that have been pushed together to form an impression of
the walls of the tubules - indicating the infection is in the kidney itself -
pyelonephritis.
Which gender is more likely to experience urinary bladder infections?
Why? Females due to the short length of the urethra -
it is relatively easy for bacteria, especially those from the intestinal tract,
to travel that distance into the bladder.
When would we see an increase in the incidence of bladder infections in the
other gender? In males the incidence goes up after the
age of 40 when enlargement of the prostate gland can cause retention of urine in
the bladder.
The most common type of renal stone is made of :
calcium phosphate.
An example of a type III hypersensitivity affecting the kidney would be:
acute glomerulonephritis following a
streptococcal infection. The antigen-antibody complexes are deposited in
the walls of the glomerulus, which is then damaged through the activation of
complement and frustrated phagocytosis by neutrophils.
An example of a type II hypersensitivity affecting the kidney would be:
Goodpasture syndrome where antibodies are formed against
the basement membranes of the capillaries in the lung and glomerulus. Remember
that this is a type of RPGN and is most common in men 20 -30 years of age.
The nephrotic syndrome is characterized by:
proteinuria of greater than 3.5 grams/day.
Bone fractures may be seen with chronic renal failure because:
The kidney activates vitamin D, which promotes calcium
absorption. When the kidney fails, it is unable to activate vitamin D, so less
calcium is absorbed from the intestines, and bones can become fragile.
Blood in the urine appears a smoky brown color. Where is the blood coming
from? Probably from the
glomerulus. The long exposure to an acidic urine causes the color change.
Bleeding in the lower urinary tract is usually pink or red.