GMS6402 EXAM SCRIPT 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+ TIP
✔✔What does it mean to be perfusion limited? - ✔✔oxygen levels reach equilibrium
before the blood leaves the alveoli area, no more oxygen can be transported
✔✔What does it mean to be diffusion limited? - ✔✔Interstitial space between alveoli
and capillary is too large, preventing complete oxygen transfer
✔✔Under normal physiological conditions, the maximum capacity of O2 that Hb can
carry is approximately - ✔✔1.34 mls O2
✔✔How many grams of hemoglobin are present in the blood? - ✔✔15 g Hb / 100 mL
blood
✔✔How much O2 is delivered to the body per minute? How much of that is consumed?
- ✔✔1000 mLs of O2/min, only 250 mLs of O2/min are consumed
✔✔What is the equation for how much oxygen hemoglobin can carry per liter of blood? -
✔✔carrying capacity x hemoglobin concentration x % saturation
make sure units match
✔✔Which of the following will increase the content of arterial oxygen?
-increased hemoglobin concentration
-decreased hemoglobin saturation
-decreased PaO2
-decreased O2 solubility - ✔✔increased hemoglobin concentration
✔✔What is Henry's Law?
Solubility of O2? - ✔✔Concentration of a Dissolved Gas = solubility of gas x deltaP of
gas
Solubility of O2 = 0.0031 mLs O2 / mmHg / 100 mLs blood
✔✔What is the formula for % Hb saturation? - ✔✔% saturation = actual content /
capacity
capacity at 100% saturation is 20.1
✔✔What happens to our oxyhemoglobin when we exercise and our metabolism and
temperature increase? - ✔✔Less O2 binding to Hb because of the O2 pressure
increase
✔✔What is also released when exercise is occurring to help with oxygen release from
Hb? - ✔✔2,3-diphosphoglycerate, produced in anaerobic environments
, ✔✔Does a decrease in pH/increase in PaCO2 cause an increase or decrease in oxygen
release from Hb? - ✔✔increase, they both have effect but are more significant when
combined
✔✔What is the total oxygen content composed of? - ✔✔sum of dissolved and
hemoglobin bound oxygen
✔✔What is polycythemia? - ✔✔Increase in hemoglobin/RBCs, oxygen therapy will not
help with this disease
✔✔What is Anemia? - ✔✔Decrease in hemoglobin/RBCs, oxygen therapy will not help
with this disease
✔✔How does oxygen content change in CO poisoning? - ✔✔Decrease in saturation
due to present CO2 on hemoglobin, dissolved remains the same
✔✔How do we treat CO poisoning? - ✔✔Increase dissolved O2 content via atmospheric
pressure, allows for overall O2 content increase
✔✔How can we increase oxygen delivery (qualitatively)? - ✔✔Increased heart rate,
stroke volume, Hb concentration
✔✔How can we increase Hb concentration? - ✔✔Train at high altitudes, blood
transfusion after alteration
✔✔What is the formula for oxygen content? - ✔✔HbO2 + Dissolved
(Hb capacity x Hb conc x % sat) + (solubility of O2 x PaO2)
✔✔A blood gas analysis is performed on a patient and the following values are
observed: Partial pressure of oxygen in the arterial blood = 60 mm Hg; the oxygen
content = 18 mls O2/dL of blood. Assuming that all else is normal, what is the percent
hemoglobin saturation of this patient? - ✔✔90%
✔✔An arterial blood gas is ordered and the following values are obtained; Hb = 17 g/dL,
hemoglobin saturation = 100%, and PaO2 = 200 mm Hg. What is the content of total
oxygen in the arterial blood sample? - ✔✔23.38 mLs O2/dL blood
✔✔What is the normal rate of respiration? - ✔✔12 breaths per minute
✔✔What is a possible cause for no end tidal CO2? - ✔✔Lack of blood circulation which
prevents CO2 from reaching the lungs
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+ TIP
✔✔What does it mean to be perfusion limited? - ✔✔oxygen levels reach equilibrium
before the blood leaves the alveoli area, no more oxygen can be transported
✔✔What does it mean to be diffusion limited? - ✔✔Interstitial space between alveoli
and capillary is too large, preventing complete oxygen transfer
✔✔Under normal physiological conditions, the maximum capacity of O2 that Hb can
carry is approximately - ✔✔1.34 mls O2
✔✔How many grams of hemoglobin are present in the blood? - ✔✔15 g Hb / 100 mL
blood
✔✔How much O2 is delivered to the body per minute? How much of that is consumed?
- ✔✔1000 mLs of O2/min, only 250 mLs of O2/min are consumed
✔✔What is the equation for how much oxygen hemoglobin can carry per liter of blood? -
✔✔carrying capacity x hemoglobin concentration x % saturation
make sure units match
✔✔Which of the following will increase the content of arterial oxygen?
-increased hemoglobin concentration
-decreased hemoglobin saturation
-decreased PaO2
-decreased O2 solubility - ✔✔increased hemoglobin concentration
✔✔What is Henry's Law?
Solubility of O2? - ✔✔Concentration of a Dissolved Gas = solubility of gas x deltaP of
gas
Solubility of O2 = 0.0031 mLs O2 / mmHg / 100 mLs blood
✔✔What is the formula for % Hb saturation? - ✔✔% saturation = actual content /
capacity
capacity at 100% saturation is 20.1
✔✔What happens to our oxyhemoglobin when we exercise and our metabolism and
temperature increase? - ✔✔Less O2 binding to Hb because of the O2 pressure
increase
✔✔What is also released when exercise is occurring to help with oxygen release from
Hb? - ✔✔2,3-diphosphoglycerate, produced in anaerobic environments
, ✔✔Does a decrease in pH/increase in PaCO2 cause an increase or decrease in oxygen
release from Hb? - ✔✔increase, they both have effect but are more significant when
combined
✔✔What is the total oxygen content composed of? - ✔✔sum of dissolved and
hemoglobin bound oxygen
✔✔What is polycythemia? - ✔✔Increase in hemoglobin/RBCs, oxygen therapy will not
help with this disease
✔✔What is Anemia? - ✔✔Decrease in hemoglobin/RBCs, oxygen therapy will not help
with this disease
✔✔How does oxygen content change in CO poisoning? - ✔✔Decrease in saturation
due to present CO2 on hemoglobin, dissolved remains the same
✔✔How do we treat CO poisoning? - ✔✔Increase dissolved O2 content via atmospheric
pressure, allows for overall O2 content increase
✔✔How can we increase oxygen delivery (qualitatively)? - ✔✔Increased heart rate,
stroke volume, Hb concentration
✔✔How can we increase Hb concentration? - ✔✔Train at high altitudes, blood
transfusion after alteration
✔✔What is the formula for oxygen content? - ✔✔HbO2 + Dissolved
(Hb capacity x Hb conc x % sat) + (solubility of O2 x PaO2)
✔✔A blood gas analysis is performed on a patient and the following values are
observed: Partial pressure of oxygen in the arterial blood = 60 mm Hg; the oxygen
content = 18 mls O2/dL of blood. Assuming that all else is normal, what is the percent
hemoglobin saturation of this patient? - ✔✔90%
✔✔An arterial blood gas is ordered and the following values are obtained; Hb = 17 g/dL,
hemoglobin saturation = 100%, and PaO2 = 200 mm Hg. What is the content of total
oxygen in the arterial blood sample? - ✔✔23.38 mLs O2/dL blood
✔✔What is the normal rate of respiration? - ✔✔12 breaths per minute
✔✔What is a possible cause for no end tidal CO2? - ✔✔Lack of blood circulation which
prevents CO2 from reaching the lungs
