A 50-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of chronic obs

Question

A 50-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of chronic obstructive lung disease. On review of the chart, the nurse noted the patient is both hypoxic and has an elevated carbon dioxide level. When examining the patient, the nurse notes an increased respiratory effort and use of accessory muscles. Define compliance and resistance. In patients with chronic obstructive disease, there is an increase in residual volume. What does this mean? In patients with chronic obstructive disease, there is a decreased surface area for diffusion. Explain how that will impact diffusion and how that relates to the hypoxia and elevated carbon dioxide. Explain the difference between the function of the central and peripheral chemoreceptors (Learning Objectives 9, 10, 11, 19, 23)

Explanation / Answer

1. The degree of comfort felt by the lungs while expanding is known as compliance; the urge of elastic lung tissue to recoil from the chest walls is known as resistance.

2. Residual volume is the amount of remaining air in the lungs after a full exhalation.

3. Surface area of lungs provide an optimal environment for gas exchange as the availability of alveolar-capillary membrane surface area is directly proportional to the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide that can diffuse across it during a particular period. COD or any lung disorder reduces that surface area thereby reducing diffusion and impairing gas exchange.

4. Central chemoreceptors are located at the ventral surface of brainstem; whereas peripheral chemoreceptors are located at the aortic arch and carotid body. Both increases respiratory rate in response to hypercapnia though Central is slower than peripheral and the later responds to hypoxia and acidosis as well.

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