Respiratory system

Physics relevant to respiratory physiology
Fundamental gas laws relevant to critical care medicine
Partial pressure and the solubility of gases in biological systems
Physics of humidity and evaporation
Heating and humidification in the normal respiratory tract
Anatomy of the Respiratory System
Structure and function of the upper airways
Differences in upper airways of neonates, children and adults
Structure and function of the lower airways
Anatomy of the pulmonary and bronchial circulation
Structure and function of the alveolus
Properties, production and regulation of lung surfactant
Roles of the chest wall and diaphragm in respiratory mechanics
Non-respiratory functions of the lungs
Control of Ventilation
Control of ventilation and oxygenation
Relationship of arterial carbon dioxide and alveolar ventilation
Relationship of arterial oxygen and alveolar ventilation
Factors which influence the respiratory rate and tidal volume
Pathways and importance of the cough reflex
Mechanics of Breathing
The expiratory and inspiratory process
Static, dynamic and specific compliance
Hysteresis of the pulmonary pressure-volume curve
Measurement of respiratory compliance
Elastic properties of the respiratory system
Time constants
Resistance of the respiratory system
Factors that affect airway resistance
Measurement of respiratory resistance
Vertical gradient of pleural pressure
The effects of positioning on the mechanics of breathing
Work of breathing and its components
Pulmonary Capacities and Volumes
Lung volumes and capacities
Measurement of lung volumes and capacities
Functional residual capacity
Clinical significance and measurement of closing capacity
Pulmonary circulation
Physiological characteristics of pulmonary blood vessels
Differences between the pulmonary and systemic circulations
Factors which affect pulmonary vascular resistance
Ventilation-Perfusion Relationships
Global and regional ventilation and perfusion
West's zones of the lung
Ventilation-perfusion matching and mismatching
Methods of measuring ventilation-perfusion mismatch
Effects of ventilation-perfusion mismatch on gas exchange
Dead space and its components
Measurement of dead space
Physiological consequences of increased dead space
The concepts of venous admixture and shunt
Measurement and estimation of shunt
Physiological consequences of increased shunt
Diffusive Transfer of Respiratory Gases
The oxygen cascade
Movement of carbon dioxide from the cell to the atmosphere
Diffusion of gases through the alveolar membrane
Diffusing capacity and its measurement
Perfusion-limited and diffusion-limited transfer of gases
Gas Transport in the Blood
Oxygen carrying capacity of whole blood
Fraction of oxygenated haemoglobin
Measurement of oxygen saturation by the blood gas analyser
The oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve
Factors which influence the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen
The p50 value of a blood gas sample
The idealised p50 value for a standard set of conditions
Transport of carbon dioxide in the blood
The carbon dioxide dissociation curve
The Haldane Effect
The Bohr Effect
The erythrocyte chloride shift (Hamburger effect)
Carbon dioxide storage in the human body
Oxygen storage in the human body
Measurement and Properties of Haemoglobin Species
Absorption spectroscopy of haemoglobin species
Concentration of total haemoglobin in the ABG sample
Haematocrit: erythrocyte volume as fraction of total volume
Methaemoglobin measurement by the blood gas analyser
Physiology and consequences of foetal haemoglobin
Biological properties of methaemoglobin
Causes and mechanisms of methaemoglobinaemia
Spectrophotometry of carboxyhaemoglobin
Properties of myoglobin
Pulmonary function tests and equations
Common respiratory equations
The alveolar gas equation
Oxygen tension - based indices of oxygenation
Interpretation of lung function tests
Carbon dioxide and oxygen response curves
Respiratory Pharmacology and Therapeutic Gases
Pharmacology of oxygen
Physiological effects of hyperoxia
Causes and physiological effects of hypoxaemia
Pharmacology of carbon dioxide
Pharmacology of nitric oxide
Pharmacology of pulmonary vasodilators
Pharmacology of drugs used to treat asthma
Measurement and Monitoring of Respiratory Function
Arterial blood gas interpretation
Principles of pulse oximetry
End-tidal capnometry
Difference between end tidal and arterial PCO₂
Measurement of oxygen tension by electrolysis of dissolved oxygen
Principles of oxygen measurement with the Clark electrode
Principles of measuring PCO₂ with the Severinghaus electrode
Mechanical Ventilator Design and Function
Basic components of a mechanical ventilator
Power and gas supply requirements for mechanical ventilators
Methods of generating gas flow for mechanical ventilation
Control of gas concentration and flow delivery
Breathing circuits for manual and mechanical ventilation
Active circuit humidification equipment
Passive heat and moisture exchangers
Methods of generating positive ventilator circuit pressure
Sensors for monitoring mechanical ventilation
Filters in the mechanical ventilator circuit
Alarms and safety features in mechanical ventilation
Physiology of Positive Pressure Ventilation
Positive pressure and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)
Intrinsic PEEP and positive pressure ventilation
Physiological effects of positive pressure ventilation in summary
Effects of positive pressure ventilation on pulmonary physiology
Effects of positive pressure ventilation on cardiovascular physiology
Haemodynamic changes during a mechanical breath
Effects of positive pressure ventilation on extrathoracic organ systems
Advantages and limitations of non-invasive ventilation
Power of mechanical ventilation
Settings on the Ventilator
Flow, volume, pressure, resistance and compliance
Phases of the mechanical breath
Phase variables: triggering, limits, cycling and PEEP
Control variables: volume and pressure
Triggering of a mechanically supported breath
Limit (target) variables in mechanical ventilation
Cycling from inspiration to expiration
Tidal volume and respiratory rate
Selecting and adjusting PEEP
Inspiratory pause, I:E ratio and inspiratory rise time
Modes of Mechanical Ventilation
Modes and targeting schemes of mechanical ventilation
Practical differences between pressure and volume controlled ventilation
Mandatory and spontaneous modes of ventilation
Ventilator Waveform Analysis
An introduction to the ventilator waveform
Interpreting the shape of the pressure waveform
Interpreting the shape of the ventilator flow waveform
Interpreting the shape of the pressure-volume loop
Pressure-volume loops in the presence of lung pathology
Interpreting the shape of the flow-volume loop
Intrinsic PEEP and the expiratory hold manoeuvre
Alveolar pressure and the inspiratory hold manoeuvre
The normal capnograph waveform
Abnormal capnography waveforms and their interpretation
Deranged Respiratory Physiology
Age-related changes in respiratory physiology
Physiological effects of high and low barometric pressure
Influence of morbid obesity on respiratory function
Influence of pregnancy on respiratory function
Neonatal respiratory physiology

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