CAI Exam 2 UPDATED ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
What is Ventilation? - CORRECT ANSWER movement of air into and out of the lungs,
inspiration and expiration. This is affected by O2 levels in the air, RR, and respiratory depth.
What is Perfusion? - CORRECT ANSWER blood flow reaching alveoli, pulmonary circulation
to body circulation. O2 and CO2 are dissolved in the blood, and blood is transported to the body
tissues.
Where does gas exchange occur? - CORRECT ANSWER alveoli
steps of gas exchange - CORRECT ANSWER 1) You breathe in air that contains oxygen.
2) Oxygen travels to the alveoli.
3) Oxygen moves from the alveoli into the blood.
4) At the same time, carbon dioxide moves from the blood into the alveoli.
5) You breathe out the carbon dioxide.
What is respiratory failure? - CORRECT ANSWER The inability of the body to sustain the
respiratory drive, resulting in a decreased capacity to exchange O2 and CO2. ARF can be classified as
hypoxemic or hypercapnic
Hypoxemic respiratory failure - CORRECT ANSWER Occurs when the pressure of oxygen in
arterial blood (PaO2) is lower than 60 mm Hg with normal or low arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2)
and is associated with many lung diseases in which fluid fills, or alveoli collapse. More comman than
hypercapnic.
Hypoxemic lung failure etiology - CORRECT ANSWER -Pulmonary edema
-Pulmonary embolism
-HF
-Atelectasis
-Pneumonia
-Emphysema
,Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure - CORRECT ANSWER PaCO2 level >50 mm Hg.
Hypoxemia willl occur in clients who have hypercapnic rf and are breathing room air.
Hypercapnic venitilation failure etiology - CORRECT ANSWER -Sedatives
-Guillain-Barre
-Spinal cord injury
-flail chest
-obesity
-copd
Describe low V/Q - CORRECT ANSWER a result of decreased ventilation because of airway
interstitial lung disease or overperfusion
-blood is present, but airflow is reduced.
When does overperfusion occur? - CORRECT ANSWER Pulmonary embolism is present
Describe mechanisms responsible for hypoxemia - CORRECT ANSWER V/Q mismatch and
shunt
Describe shunting (very low V/Q) - CORRECT ANSWER In simple terms, blood passes
through the lungs without being oxygenated.
-Blood still reaches the alveoli (perfusion is present).
But little or no air reaches those alveoli (ventilation is absent or severely reduced).
Therefore, the blood leaves the lungs with very little oxygen added to it.
What is V/Q? - CORRECT ANSWER Ventilation (V) = air reaching the alveoli
Perfusion (Q) = blood reaching the alveoli
-In a healthy lung, ventilation and perfusion are well matched, so oxygen enters the blood and carbon
dioxide leaves it efficiently.
, High V/Q? - CORRECT ANSWER Decreased perfusion to the lungs
-Air reaches the alveolus normally.
Blood flow to that alveolus is reduced.
Because there is little blood available, much of the ventilation is "wasted."
What disorders can affect the respiratory muscles and cause the chest wall to weaken? - CORRECT
ANSWER Disorders that affect the functioning of the peripheral nervous system, such as
Guillain-Barré, myasthenia, and muscular dystrophy, can lead to the inability to maintain proper
ventilation for CO2 production.
Obesity? - CORRECT ANSWER Obesity can impair the chest muscles' ability to meet
respiratory demands.
COPD and acute bonchial asthma? - CORRECT ANSWER contribute to lower and upper
airway obstructions, hypercapnic
What can cause abnormalities of the alveoli that result in diffuse alveolar filling and can cause
hypoxemic respiratory failure? - CORRECT ANSWER pulmonary edema, severe pneumonia,
or other severe airway disorders
What are the clinical presentations of hypoxemia? - CORRECT ANSWER -dyspnea
-irritability/restlessness/anxious
-confusion
-somnolence (late sign)
-tachycardia
-arrhythmias (late)
-tachypnea
-cyanosis (late)
What are the clinical presentations of hypercapnia? - CORRECT ANSWER -headache
(important)
-change of behavior (feel drowsy/lethargic/comatose)
-coma
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
What is Ventilation? - CORRECT ANSWER movement of air into and out of the lungs,
inspiration and expiration. This is affected by O2 levels in the air, RR, and respiratory depth.
What is Perfusion? - CORRECT ANSWER blood flow reaching alveoli, pulmonary circulation
to body circulation. O2 and CO2 are dissolved in the blood, and blood is transported to the body
tissues.
Where does gas exchange occur? - CORRECT ANSWER alveoli
steps of gas exchange - CORRECT ANSWER 1) You breathe in air that contains oxygen.
2) Oxygen travels to the alveoli.
3) Oxygen moves from the alveoli into the blood.
4) At the same time, carbon dioxide moves from the blood into the alveoli.
5) You breathe out the carbon dioxide.
What is respiratory failure? - CORRECT ANSWER The inability of the body to sustain the
respiratory drive, resulting in a decreased capacity to exchange O2 and CO2. ARF can be classified as
hypoxemic or hypercapnic
Hypoxemic respiratory failure - CORRECT ANSWER Occurs when the pressure of oxygen in
arterial blood (PaO2) is lower than 60 mm Hg with normal or low arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2)
and is associated with many lung diseases in which fluid fills, or alveoli collapse. More comman than
hypercapnic.
Hypoxemic lung failure etiology - CORRECT ANSWER -Pulmonary edema
-Pulmonary embolism
-HF
-Atelectasis
-Pneumonia
-Emphysema
,Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure - CORRECT ANSWER PaCO2 level >50 mm Hg.
Hypoxemia willl occur in clients who have hypercapnic rf and are breathing room air.
Hypercapnic venitilation failure etiology - CORRECT ANSWER -Sedatives
-Guillain-Barre
-Spinal cord injury
-flail chest
-obesity
-copd
Describe low V/Q - CORRECT ANSWER a result of decreased ventilation because of airway
interstitial lung disease or overperfusion
-blood is present, but airflow is reduced.
When does overperfusion occur? - CORRECT ANSWER Pulmonary embolism is present
Describe mechanisms responsible for hypoxemia - CORRECT ANSWER V/Q mismatch and
shunt
Describe shunting (very low V/Q) - CORRECT ANSWER In simple terms, blood passes
through the lungs without being oxygenated.
-Blood still reaches the alveoli (perfusion is present).
But little or no air reaches those alveoli (ventilation is absent or severely reduced).
Therefore, the blood leaves the lungs with very little oxygen added to it.
What is V/Q? - CORRECT ANSWER Ventilation (V) = air reaching the alveoli
Perfusion (Q) = blood reaching the alveoli
-In a healthy lung, ventilation and perfusion are well matched, so oxygen enters the blood and carbon
dioxide leaves it efficiently.
, High V/Q? - CORRECT ANSWER Decreased perfusion to the lungs
-Air reaches the alveolus normally.
Blood flow to that alveolus is reduced.
Because there is little blood available, much of the ventilation is "wasted."
What disorders can affect the respiratory muscles and cause the chest wall to weaken? - CORRECT
ANSWER Disorders that affect the functioning of the peripheral nervous system, such as
Guillain-Barré, myasthenia, and muscular dystrophy, can lead to the inability to maintain proper
ventilation for CO2 production.
Obesity? - CORRECT ANSWER Obesity can impair the chest muscles' ability to meet
respiratory demands.
COPD and acute bonchial asthma? - CORRECT ANSWER contribute to lower and upper
airway obstructions, hypercapnic
What can cause abnormalities of the alveoli that result in diffuse alveolar filling and can cause
hypoxemic respiratory failure? - CORRECT ANSWER pulmonary edema, severe pneumonia,
or other severe airway disorders
What are the clinical presentations of hypoxemia? - CORRECT ANSWER -dyspnea
-irritability/restlessness/anxious
-confusion
-somnolence (late sign)
-tachycardia
-arrhythmias (late)
-tachypnea
-cyanosis (late)
What are the clinical presentations of hypercapnia? - CORRECT ANSWER -headache
(important)
-change of behavior (feel drowsy/lethargic/comatose)
-coma
