OnlineMedEd Shared "Gas Exchange" - 6 Picmonics
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Gas Exchange
Alveolar Gas Exchange
- Characteristics
- Pulmonary Artery Blood is O2-Poor, CO2-Rich
- Two-Cell Thick Air-Blood Barrier
- CO2 Diffuses Into Air
- O2 Diffuses Into Blood
- Gases Equilibrate
- Pulmonary Vein is O2-Rich, CO2-Poor
- Thermoregulation
2 mins
Alveolar Gas Equation
- Equation
- Partial Pressure of Alveolar Oxygen (PAO2)
- Partial Pressure of Oxygen in the Inspired Air (PIO2)
- PIO2 Normally Approximated = 150 mmHg
- Arterial Partial Pressure of CO2 (PaCO2)
- Respiratory Quotient (R)
- R Normally Approximated = 0.8
- PAO2 = PIO2 - (PaCO2/R)
1 min
A-a Gradient
- Partial pressure of alveolar oxygen (PAO2)
- Partial Pressure of Arterial O2 (PaO2)
- Normal 10 to 15 mmHg
- Hypoxemia with an Abnormal A-a Gradient
- Diffusion problem
- Shunting (Low V/Q)
- Dead space (high V/Q)
1 min
Physiologic Dead Space (VD)
- Tidal Volume (VT)
- Partial pressure of arterial CO2 (PaCO2)
- Partial pressure of CO2 in expired air (PECO2)
- VD = TV x (PaCO2-PECO2) / PaCO2
2 mins
Winter's Formula
- Evaluates Respiratory Compensation
- Used in Metabolic Acidosis
- Equation
- (HCO3 x 1.5 ) + 8 plus-minus 2 = PCO2
- Steps
- Bicarbonate (HCO3) x 1.5
- + 8
- ± 2
- = Expected Value for PCO2
2 mins
Light's Criteria
- Use
- Determines Transudative vs. Exudative Source of Pleural Effusion
- Exudate if (At Least One of the Following):
- Effusion/Serum Protein Ratio > 0.5
- Effusion/Serum LDH Ratio > 0.6
- Effusion LDH > Two-thirds Upper Serum LDH Range
2 mins
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