Airway Management
Ventilation
Surprise!
Physiology
The Grapes
100

When placing an endotracheal tube in an adult patient, approximately how deep should the tube be positioned at the teeth/lips?

What is approx 3x the diameter of the tube

100

Amount of air moved during one respiratory cycle.

What is tidal volume

100

Air entering the respiratory system that doesn't participate in gas exchange.

What is dead space?

100

As the concentration of hydrogen ions increases, this value decreases.

What is pH?

100

This condition occurs when alveoli become deflated or collapse.

What is atelectasis?

200

Tachycardia may indicate hypoxemia, while this heart-rate finding may indicate imminent arrest.

What is bradycardia

200

Two values multiplied to calculate minute volume

What is Tidal Volume & Respiratory Rate

200

Normal blood pH range.  

What is 7.35-7.45

200

Partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood measured in mmHg.

What is PaO₂ 

200

Oxygen moves from the alveoli into the blood primarily through this process

What is simple diffusion

300

Excessive ventilation pressure can cause barotrauma, gastric distention, regurgitation, and this complication

What is aspiration

300

A mechanical or neurological problem interfering with movement of air represents a problem with this process.

What is ventilation

300

Anatomical dead space plus alveoli that aren't participating in gas exchange.

What is physiologic dead space

300

Approximately 66–70% of CO₂ is transported in the blood in this form

What is bicarbonate

300

Pus from pneumonia, fluid from pulmonary edema, or alveolar collapse can interfere with oxygen diffusion and produce this blood-oxygen problem.

What is hypoxemia

400

A patient's SpO₂ remains acceptable, but their LOC is declining, tidal volume is decreasing, and EtCO₂ is rising. What is the primary physiologic problem that should drive your airway-management decision?


What is inadequate ventilation / impending ventilatory failure?

400

The lungs' ability to stretch and expand.

What is compliance

400

These receptors respond primarily to changes in CO₂ indirectly through changes in CSF pH.

What are central chemoreceptors

400

Inside an RBC, this enzyme rapidly facilitates the conversion of CO₂ and H₂O into carbonic acid and ultimately H⁺ and HCO₃⁻

What is carbonic anhydrase

400

Alveoli receive air, but inadequate blood flow prevents effective gas exchange. This is called this type of dead space

What is alveolar dead space

500

A patient with severe respiratory distress is still conscious and protecting their airway, but their work of breathing is increasing and they are beginning to fatigue. Before moving to an advanced airway, name TWO noninvasive interventions that could support ventilation

What are BVM with PEEP, CPAP, BiPaP

500

During spontaneous inspiration, respiratory muscles enlarge the thoracic cavity, lowering intrapulmonary pressure so atmospheric pressure pushes air inward. This is called this type of ventilation.

What is negative pressure?

500

Excessive oxygen can cause V/Q mismatch, vasoconstriction, free radicals and oxidative cellular damage

What is hyperoxemia

500

CO₂ rises because a patient is hypoventilating. Using the carbonic acid relationship, predict what happens to H⁺ and pH.

What is increased H⁺ and decreased pH 

500

A patient with ARDS develops fluid-filled alveoli and atelectasis. Name two mechanisms that directly impair gas exchange.

What are increased diffusion distance and decreased surface area/atelectasis