CORRECT ANSWERS
1. Interpretqarterialqbloodqgasesq(ABG).qDifferentiateqalkalosis/qacidosi
sqandqrespiratoryq/qmetabolic
2. Identifyqaqventilationq–qperfusionqmismatchqandqhowqtoqtreatqit
Ifqthereqisqaqmismatchqbetweenqtheqalveolarqventilationqandqtheqalveol
arqbloodqflow,qthisqwillqbeqseenqinqtheqV/Qqratio.qIfqtheqV/Qqratioqreduce
sqdueqtoqinadequateqventilation,qgasqexchangeqwithinqtheqaffectedqalv
eoliqwillqbeqimpaired.qAsqaqresult,qtheqcapillaryqpartialqpressureqofqoxy
genq(pO2)qfallsqandqtheqpartialqpressureqofqcarbonqdioxideq(pCO2)qris
es.
Toqmanageqthis,qhypoxicqvasoconstrictionqcausesqbloodqtoqbeqdive
rtedqtoqbetterqventilatedqpartsqofqtheqlung.qHowever,qinqmostqphysiolo
gicalqstatesqtheqhemoglobinqinqtheseqwell-
ventilatedqalveolarqcapillariesqwillqalreadyqbeqsaturated.qThisqmeans
qthatqredqcellsqwillqbequnableqtoqbindqadditionalqoxygenqtoqincreaseqth
eqpO2.qAsqaqresult,qtheqpO2qlevelqofqtheqblood
, remainsqlow,qwhichqactsqasqaqstimulusqtoqcauseqhyperventilation,qres
ultingqinqeitherqnormalqorqlowqCO2qlevels.
Aqmismatchqinqventilationqandqperfusionqcanqariseqdueqtoqeitherqreduc
edqventilationqofqpartqofqtheqlungqorqreducedqperfusion.
Ventilation/perfusionqmismatchq—
qMechanicalqventilationqcanqalterqtwoqopposingqformsqofqventilation/pe
rfusionqmismatchq(V/Qqmismatch),qdeadqspaceq(areasqthatqareqoverv
entilatedqrelativeqtoqperfusion;qV>Q)qandqshuntq(areasqthatqarequnderv
entilatedqrelativeqtoqperfusion;qV<Q).qByqincreasingqventilationq(V),qth
eqinstitutionqofqpositiveqpressureqventilationqwillqworsenqdeadqspaceqb
utqimproveqshunt.
Increasedqdeadqspaceq—
qDeadqspaceqreflectsqtheqsurfaceqareaqwithinqtheqlungqthatqisqnotqinvol
vedqinqgasqexchange.qItqisqtheqsumqofqtheqanatomicqplusqalveolarqdea
dqspace.qAlveolarqdeadqspaceq(alsoqknownqasqphysiologicqdeadqspac
e)qconsistsqofqalveoliqthatqareqnotqinvolvedqinqgasqexchangeqdueqtoqins
ufficientqperfusionq(ie,qoverventilatedqrelativeqtoqperfusion).qPositiveqp
ressureqventilationqtendsqtoqincreaseqalveolarqdeadqspaceqbyqincreasi
ngqventilationqinqalveoliqthatqdoqnotqhaveqaqcorrespondingqincreaseqinq
perfusion,qtherebyqworseningqV/Qqmismatchqandqhypercapnia.
Reducedqshuntq—
qAnqintraparenchymalqshuntqexistsqwhereqthereqisqbloodqflowqthroughq
pulmonaryqparenchymaqthatqisqnotqinvolvedqinqgasqexchangeqbecaus
eqofqinsufficientqalveolarqventilation.qPatientsqwithqrespiratoryqfailureqfr
equentlyqhaveqincreasedqintraparenchymalqshuntingqdueqtoqareasqofqf
ocalqatelectasisqthatqcontinueqtoqbeqperfusedq(ie,qregionsqthatqareqund
erventilatedqrelativeqtoqperfusion).qTreatingqatelectasisqwithqpositiveqp
ressureqventilationqcanqreduceqintraparenchymalqshuntingqbyqimprovi
ngqalveolarqventilation,qtherebyqimprovingqV/Qqmatchingqandqoxygen
ation.
ThisqisqparticularlyqtrueqifqPEEPqisqadded.q(Seeq"Positiveqend-
expiratoryqpressureq(PEEP)"qandq"Measuresqofqoxygenationqandqme
chanismsqofqhypoxemia",qsectionqonq'V/Qqmismatch'.)
3. BeqableqtoqcalculateqanqAaqgradient.qBeqableqtoqinterpretqanqAaqgradient.
Theqalveolarqtoqarterialq(A-
a)qoxygenqgradientqisqaqcommonqmeasureqofqoxygenationq("A"qdenot
esqalveolarqandq"a"qdenotesqarterialqoxygenation).qItqisqtheqdifferenceq
betweenqtheqamountqofqtheqoxygenqinqtheqalveoliq(ie,qtheqalveolarqoxy
genqtensionq[PAO2])qandqtheqamountqofqoxygenqdissolvedqinqtheqplas
maq(PaO2):
A-aqoxygenqgradientq=qPAO2q-qPaO2
PaO2qisqmeasuredqbyqarterialqbloodqgas,qwhileqPAO2qisqcalculatedqusi
ngqtheqalveolarqgasqequation:
PAO2q=q(FiO2qxq[Patmq-qPH2O])q-q(PaCO2q÷qR)
, whereqFiO2qisqtheqfractionqofqinspiredqoxygenq(0.21qatqroomqair),qPatm
qisqtheqatmosphericqpressureq(760qmmHgqatqseaqlevel),qPH2Oqisqtheqp
artialqpressureqofqwaterq(47qmmHgqatq37ºC),qPaCO2qisqtheqarterialqcar
bonqdioxideqtension,qandqRqisqtheqrespiratoryqquotient.qTheqrespirator
yqquotientqisqapproximatelyq0.8qatqsteadyqstate,qbutqvariesqaccordingqt
oqtheqrelativequtilizationqofqcarbohydrate,qprotein,qandqfat.
TheqA-
aqgradientqcalculatedqusingqthisqalveolarqgasqequationqmayqdeviateqfr
omqtheqtrueqgradientqbyqupqtoq10qmmHg.qThisqreflectsqtheqequation'sq
simplificationqfromqtheqmoreqrigorousqfullqcalculationqandqtheqimprecis
ionqofqseveralqindependentqvariablesq(eg,qFiO2qandqR).
TheqnormalqA-
aqgradientqvariesqwithqageqandqcanqbeqestimatedqfromqtheqfollowingqe
quation,qassumingqtheqpatientqisqbreathingqroomqair:
A-aqgradientq=q2.5q+q0.21qxqageqinqyears
TheqA-
aqgradientqincreasesqwithqhigherqFiO2.qWhenqaqpatientqreceivesqaqhig
hqFiO2,qbothqPAO2qandqPaO2qincrease.qHowever,qtheqPAO2qincreases
qdisproportionately,qcausingqtheqA-
aqgradientqtoqincrease.qInqoneqseries,qtheqA-
aqgradientqinqmenqbreathingqairqandq100qpercentqoxygenqvariedqfromq
8qtoq82qmmHgqinqpatientsqyoungerqthanq40qyearsqofqageqandqfromq3qt
oq120qmmHgqinqpatientsqolderqthanq40qyearsqofqageq[5].
ProperqdeterminationsqofqtheqA-
aqgradientqrequireqexactqmeasurementqofqFiO2qsuchqasqwhenqpatient
sqareqbreathingqroomqairqorqareqreceivingqmechanicalqventilation.qThe
qFiO2qofqpatientsqreceivingqsupplementalqoxygenqbyqnasalqcannulaqor
qmaskqcanqbeqestimatedqandqtheqA-
aqgradientqapproximatedqbutqlargeqvariationsqmayqexistqandqtheqA-
aqgradientqmayqsubstantiallyqvaryqfromqtheqpredicted,qlimitingqitsqusef
ulness.qThequseqofqaq100qpercentqnon-
rebreathingqmaskqreasonablyqapproximatesqactualqdeliveryqofq100qp
ercentqoxygenqandqcanqbequsedqtoqmeasureqshunt.
WhyquseqtheqAaqgradient:
TheqA-
aqGradientqcanqhelpqdetermineqtheqcauseqofqhypoxia;qitq
pinpointsqtheqlocationqofqtheqhypoxiaqasqintra-qorqextra-
qpulmonary.
WhenqtoquseqtheqAaqgradient:
Patientsqwithqunexplainedqhypoxia.
Patientsqwithqhypoxiaqexceedingqtheqdegreeqofqtheirqclin
icalqillness.
, 4. Identifyqclinicalqsymptomsqorqconditionsqindicatingqaqneedqtoqintubateq
andqventilateqaqpatient
Neuromuscularqdepressionqorqfailure
A. Drugs
OpiodsqSed
ativesqNMq
Blockers
B. Trauma
SpinalqCordqinjuryq
Phrenicqnerveqinjur
y
C. Disease
GuillainqBarreqsyndrome