Transcript RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Functions
Obtain oxygen for delivery to the body
cells
Expel waste products (carbon dioxide)
Produce air flow through the larynx to
make speech possible
Did you know?
Of all the substances the body has to
survive Oxygen is the by far the most
crucial
Without food – can live for a week
Without water – live for a few days
Without oxygen can live for 4 to 6 minutes
Process of Respiration
 External respiration, or ventilation, brings
oxygen into the lungs and expels carbon
dioxide
 1. Pulmonary ventilation
 2. Diffusion of gases
 3. Transport of gases
 Internal (cellular) respiration – oxygen is taken
into the cell and used in the breakdown of
nutrients with the release of energy. Carbon
dioxide is the waste products of cellular
respiration
Mechanics of Breathing
When the diaphragm
contracts, oxygen is
pulled into the lungs.
When the diaphragm
relaxes, carbon
dioxide is pumped
out of the lungs.
Pathway of air
nasal cavity (or oral cavity)  pharynx 
trachea  bronchus 
lungs  bronchioles  alveoli (site of
gas exchange).
Structures of the respiratory
system:
Upper Airway Structures and their
Functions
Nose – Warms, moisturizes and filters air
Paranasal Sinuses – Provide mucus,
make bones of the skull lighter, and aid in
sound production
Epiglottis – closes off the trachea during
swallowing
Pharynx – transports air to and from the
nose to the trachea
Larynx – makes speech possible
Lower Airway Structures and their
Functions
 Trachea: transports air to and from the pharynx to the bronchi
 Bronchi:
The bronchi are two air tubes that branch off of the
trachea and carry air directly into the lungs.
 Bronchioles: -Smallest of the bronchial branches; end with
alveoli
 Alveoli: Air sacs that exchange gases with the pulmonary
capillary blood
 Lungs: Main organ. Where Oxygen is brought in and carbon
dioxide is removed
Did you know?
Adults have 1,00o square feet of alveolar
membrane (or over 300 million alveoli)
Each alveoli is surrounded by a rich
capillary network (approx. 60 square
meters – half of a tennis court)
Reduction in the alveolar surface areas
can result from – emphysema, tumors,
mass, inflammatory material
Assessment Techniques
 Rate
The normal rate of respiration varies with age,
gender, posture, exercise, temperature, and other
factors
(eupnea, tachpnea, bradypnea/hypopnea, apnea,
 Character
Respirations should have a regular rhythm,
occurring at regular intervals (Cheyne-stokes)
 Depth- (hypoventilation, hyperventilation)
 Ease (dyspnea)
Breath Sounds
 Crackles – air passing through moisture
 Rhonchi – air passing through narrow airway
due to mucus bronchospasm or tumor
Sonorous
Musical - Wheezing
 Pleural friction Rub – Inflamed visceral and
parietal pleura rubbing together
 Stridor – Forced air movement through
edematous upper airways
Assessment Techniques (continued)
Lung volume
The amount of air that can be brought into the
lungs is called respiratory capacity
Blood Gases
Studies measure how much oxygen (O2) and
carbon dioxide (CO2) are in the blood, the blood's
pH and other gases
Pulse Oximetry (Hgb maintains
saturation of 97-99%)
Pulmonary Diagnostics
Roentgenographs – AP and lateral CXR
Tomography – different depths of thoracic
cavity, defines shapes, size, and borders
of lesions
Fluoroscopy – vies thoracic cavity in
motion
Sputum Specimens – diagnose infections
inc TB,; detect abnormal cells from tumors
Pulmonary Diagnostics (continued)
Bronchoscopy – visualizes upper airway
and bronchi; obtain biopsy specimens,
Removes aspirated bodies
Bronchogram – radiographic substance
injected into the trachea, pt. tilted various
way sand x-rays are taken
Tuberculin Test
Lung Scans
Pulmonary Angiography
Pulmonary Diagnostics (continued)
Pulmonary Function Test: Spirometry – to
test air movement in and out of the alveoli
(PEFR) or O2/CO2 diffusion
(capnography)
Medical Specialties
Otolaryngeologist/Otorhinolaryngologist –
(ENT doctor)
Pulmonologist
Respiratory Therapist