Gas Exchange:
1. What is the normal PaO2?
2. At what point do we become hypoxaemic?
3. What is the normal range of PaCO2?
4. When do we become hypercapnic/hypocapnic?
5. What are the two types of respiratory failure?
6. What are the four ways we can become hypoxic?
7. Explain hypoventilation and diffusion defects
8. A patient in type I respiratory failure is not responding to oxygen what do they
have? Explain.
9. What is the RER?
10. What does the alveolar gas equation used for?
11. How can our lungs compensate for poor VA?
12. What is hypoxic drive? What can it result in?
Neural Control of Breathing Questions
1. What muscles are used during breathing? During quiet ventilation and increased
ventilation?
2. What is the neural pathway for ventilation? What are RPGs? Which neurones are
important in this?
3. Explain the equation VE = VT x f and what it tells us
4. What is Ondines curse? Why is it a problem?
5. Describe obstructive sleep apnoea and central sleep apnoea
6. What is difference between peripheral chemoreceptors and central
7. What causes our main urge to breathe? Is this the same in COPD?
Mechanics of Breathing Questions
1. Describe the mechanical process of ventilation, from just before inspiration to end
of exhalation. Including changes in pressures and volumes.
2. What happens in a pneumothorax and why?
3. Why is the lung elastic/compliant? What pathologies can affect this and how?
4. Role of surfactant and surface tension
Mechanics of Breathing II Questions
1. Describe the mechanical process of breathing, including changes in alveolar
pressure and why they are produced
2. Describe the volume/pressure loop and how it may change in disease states,
including restrictive and obstructive diseases
3. What is Darcy’s law? Poiseuilles law? What does it tell us about airway resistance?
How is resistance distributed in the respiratory tract.
4. What factors control airway resistance?
5. What diseases can affect airway resistance?
6. How spirometry can measure lung function and airway resistance in disease
1. What is the normal PaO2?
2. At what point do we become hypoxaemic?
3. What is the normal range of PaCO2?
4. When do we become hypercapnic/hypocapnic?
5. What are the two types of respiratory failure?
6. What are the four ways we can become hypoxic?
7. Explain hypoventilation and diffusion defects
8. A patient in type I respiratory failure is not responding to oxygen what do they
have? Explain.
9. What is the RER?
10. What does the alveolar gas equation used for?
11. How can our lungs compensate for poor VA?
12. What is hypoxic drive? What can it result in?
Neural Control of Breathing Questions
1. What muscles are used during breathing? During quiet ventilation and increased
ventilation?
2. What is the neural pathway for ventilation? What are RPGs? Which neurones are
important in this?
3. Explain the equation VE = VT x f and what it tells us
4. What is Ondines curse? Why is it a problem?
5. Describe obstructive sleep apnoea and central sleep apnoea
6. What is difference between peripheral chemoreceptors and central
7. What causes our main urge to breathe? Is this the same in COPD?
Mechanics of Breathing Questions
1. Describe the mechanical process of ventilation, from just before inspiration to end
of exhalation. Including changes in pressures and volumes.
2. What happens in a pneumothorax and why?
3. Why is the lung elastic/compliant? What pathologies can affect this and how?
4. Role of surfactant and surface tension
Mechanics of Breathing II Questions
1. Describe the mechanical process of breathing, including changes in alveolar
pressure and why they are produced
2. Describe the volume/pressure loop and how it may change in disease states,
including restrictive and obstructive diseases
3. What is Darcy’s law? Poiseuilles law? What does it tell us about airway resistance?
How is resistance distributed in the respiratory tract.
4. What factors control airway resistance?
5. What diseases can affect airway resistance?
6. How spirometry can measure lung function and airway resistance in disease
