The ultimate FISDAP AIRWAY study
guide
From the atmosphere, what structures does air pass through during ventilation? - CORRECT ANSWER
✔✔✔ Starts in atmosphere, then nose, nasopharyngeal space/orophargyneal space (if mouth breather),
then pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
What is the purpose of the nasal passages and nasopharynx? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ To
warm/humidify air as it passes through
What is the difference between respiration and ventilation? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Respiration
refers to the exchange of gases in the alveoli, ventilation refers to the movement of air into the lungs.
Respiration is needed to provide O2 to cells and remove waste products. Also regulates pH of blood.
What are the structures of the upper airway? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ nose, mouth, tongue, jaw,
pharynx and larynx
What structure is considered a landmark that divides the upper airway from lower? - CORRECT ANSWER
✔✔✔ The larynx, anything above is upper. The larynx and below are lower.
What are the structures of the lower airways? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ larynx (includes adam's
apple/thyroid cartilage, cricothyroid membrane, cricoid cartilage), trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
Describe the anatomy of the larynx. - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ From superior to inferior. Thyroid
cartilage, cricothyroid membrane, and cricoid membrane. The thyroid cartilage and cricoid cartilage are
anterior to the larynx, and the cricothyroid membrane is posterior to both structures.
True or false: the lungs are completely equal in the midsaggital plane. - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ False,
right lungs has 3 lobes, left lung only has 2 lobes. Together they have 5 total. Also, the right bronchi is
inferior to the left bronchi.
What are the structures of the lungs in order of ventilation? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ bronchioles,
and alveoli
True or false: the lungs use muscles found in the lateral lobes to expand and contract? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✔✔✔ False: the lungs are hollow organs and contain no muscles. When the diaphragm
contracts it expands the thoracic cavity. The pleural space has a negative pressure and the lungs expand.
This results in a slightly negative pressure (compared to the atmosphere) and air rushes in.
True or false: Air rushes into the lungs because of negative pressure. - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ True,
when the lungs expand, they are creating a vacuum because they are expanding the volume of the
container. This increase in volume causes influx of air into the container until the pressure is equalized
with the atmosphere.
True or false: The parietal pleura lines the lungs and the visceral pleura lines the lungs. The space
between is called the anterior pleura. - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ False: the visceral pleura lines the
lungs, the parietal pleura lines the body cavity and the pleural space is the space in between both where
body fluid allows for both to smoothly glide.
,What muscles are involved in inhalation? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ The diaphragm, cervical muscles
(neck), intercostals, abdominal muscles, and pectoral muscles.
What muscles are involved in expiration? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ none, expiration (if done
passively) is achieved by the relaxation of the diaphragm.
What is the primary driver of respiration? (Why would we increase/decrease RR?) - CORRECT ANSWER
✔✔✔ The CSF in the brain has chemoreceptors sensitive to CO2. When there is too much CO2. The pH
changes. These sensors feed back to the medulla oblongata, which stimulates the phrenic nerve which
innervates the diaphragm. They cause an increase in activity of the diaphragm. This increases the RR
which causes us to increase tidal volume. This means more CO2 is exhaled. And brings our pH back to
normal.
We also have the less sensitive hypoxic drive
What is hypoxic drive? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Backup system to control respiration.
Chemoreceptors in brain, aorta, and carotid arteries. But they are "satisfied" by a small amount of O2,
which means it is not as sensitive as pH control of CO2
What two areas of the brain are involved in respiration? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ medulla-controls
rhythm, initiates inspiration, sets base pattern for respirations, and stimulates diaphragm to contract.
pons-changes depth of inspiration, expiration or both.
True or false: arteries bring oxygenated blood to organs/capillaries - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ True in
most cases with one exception. Arteries (away) bring blood away from the heart. Usually this is
oxygenated blood. But the pulmonary arteries bring oxygen poor blood away from the heart, to the
lungs to be oxygenated.
What is the tidal volume? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ amount of air moved in/out of lungs in single
breath. Usually 500 ml in adult
What is inspiratory reserve volume? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Deepest breath you can take after
normal respiration
What is expiratory reserve volume/Vital Capacity? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ maximum amount you
can breathe out after normal breath.
What is residual volume? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Remaining gas in lungs after exhalation. This is to
keep lungs inflated
What is dead space? What structures are considered part of dead space? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔
Part of respiratory system not involved in active respiration. Air moves through here but little to no
respiration occurs. Mouth, trachea, bronchi and bronchioles considered dead space
What is minute volume? What does it measure? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Minute volume = RR x tidal
volume. Volume of air moving through lungs in 1 minute. Can be estimated quickly. Count RR rate. If
,normal check to see chest rise and fall (tidal volume). If chest rise and fall is weak and/or little air coming
out of nose, then the person has small minute volume.
Alveolar Minute Volume - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Volume of air moved through lungs in 1 minute
minus the dead space. Alveolar Minute Volume = (tidal volume - dead space) x RR
Alveolar Ventilation - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Volume of air that reaches alveoli.
Alveolar ventilation = tidal volume - dead space
Name the characteristics of normal breathing - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ 1. Normal rate (12-20)
2. regular pattern of inhalation/exhalation
3. clear bilateral lung sounds
4. regular and equal chest rise/fall
5. adequate depth (tidal volume)
What are the characteristics of inadequate breathing (adults)? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Chapter 6
1. labored breathing (activating accessory muscles of respiration)
2. 12< or >20 breaths/minute
3. muscle retractions above clavicles or between ribs and below rib cage
4. pale/cyanotic skin
5. cool, damp, clammy skin
6. tripod position
Chapter 10
1. 12< or 20>
2. irregular rhythm
3. diminished, absent or noisy auscultated breath sounds
4. reduced flow of expired air at nose/mouth
5. unequal or inadequate chest expansion
6. labored breathing
7. shallow depth
8. pale, cyanotic, cool or moist skin
, 9. retractions around ribs or above clavicles
What are agonal gasps? What should you do if a pt has agonal gasps? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Pt in
cardiac arrest has occasional gasping breaths because respiratory center in brain continues to send
signals to breathing muscles. Artificial ventilations and chest compressions.
Where are the alpha-1 receptors located? What is their effect? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ location-
blood vessels
constricted blood vessels, skin is pale, cool, clammy
They essentially increase BP
Where are the Beta-1 receptors located? What is their effect? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ location-
heart
effect- increased HR, increased force of contraction
They essentially increase CO since CO = HR x SV
Where are the Beta-2 receptors located? What is their effect? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ location -
lungs (beta-2 is beta-tube)
effect - bronchodilation (more air enters lungs)
Where are the muscarinic receptors located? What is their effect? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ location -
heart
effect - decreased HR, decreased force of contraction
Muscarinic is parasympathetic system and do complete opposite of Beta-1 which is sympathetic
What hormones activate the sympathetic nervous system? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Epineprhine and
norepineprhine, which are released from he adrenal gland after stimulation by the sympathetic nervous
system. These hormones stimulate heart and blood vessels.
What is pathophysiology? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Study of how normal physiologic processes are
affected by disease
guide
From the atmosphere, what structures does air pass through during ventilation? - CORRECT ANSWER
✔✔✔ Starts in atmosphere, then nose, nasopharyngeal space/orophargyneal space (if mouth breather),
then pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
What is the purpose of the nasal passages and nasopharynx? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ To
warm/humidify air as it passes through
What is the difference between respiration and ventilation? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Respiration
refers to the exchange of gases in the alveoli, ventilation refers to the movement of air into the lungs.
Respiration is needed to provide O2 to cells and remove waste products. Also regulates pH of blood.
What are the structures of the upper airway? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ nose, mouth, tongue, jaw,
pharynx and larynx
What structure is considered a landmark that divides the upper airway from lower? - CORRECT ANSWER
✔✔✔ The larynx, anything above is upper. The larynx and below are lower.
What are the structures of the lower airways? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ larynx (includes adam's
apple/thyroid cartilage, cricothyroid membrane, cricoid cartilage), trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
Describe the anatomy of the larynx. - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ From superior to inferior. Thyroid
cartilage, cricothyroid membrane, and cricoid membrane. The thyroid cartilage and cricoid cartilage are
anterior to the larynx, and the cricothyroid membrane is posterior to both structures.
True or false: the lungs are completely equal in the midsaggital plane. - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ False,
right lungs has 3 lobes, left lung only has 2 lobes. Together they have 5 total. Also, the right bronchi is
inferior to the left bronchi.
What are the structures of the lungs in order of ventilation? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ bronchioles,
and alveoli
True or false: the lungs use muscles found in the lateral lobes to expand and contract? - CORRECT
ANSWER ✔✔✔ False: the lungs are hollow organs and contain no muscles. When the diaphragm
contracts it expands the thoracic cavity. The pleural space has a negative pressure and the lungs expand.
This results in a slightly negative pressure (compared to the atmosphere) and air rushes in.
True or false: Air rushes into the lungs because of negative pressure. - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ True,
when the lungs expand, they are creating a vacuum because they are expanding the volume of the
container. This increase in volume causes influx of air into the container until the pressure is equalized
with the atmosphere.
True or false: The parietal pleura lines the lungs and the visceral pleura lines the lungs. The space
between is called the anterior pleura. - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ False: the visceral pleura lines the
lungs, the parietal pleura lines the body cavity and the pleural space is the space in between both where
body fluid allows for both to smoothly glide.
,What muscles are involved in inhalation? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ The diaphragm, cervical muscles
(neck), intercostals, abdominal muscles, and pectoral muscles.
What muscles are involved in expiration? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ none, expiration (if done
passively) is achieved by the relaxation of the diaphragm.
What is the primary driver of respiration? (Why would we increase/decrease RR?) - CORRECT ANSWER
✔✔✔ The CSF in the brain has chemoreceptors sensitive to CO2. When there is too much CO2. The pH
changes. These sensors feed back to the medulla oblongata, which stimulates the phrenic nerve which
innervates the diaphragm. They cause an increase in activity of the diaphragm. This increases the RR
which causes us to increase tidal volume. This means more CO2 is exhaled. And brings our pH back to
normal.
We also have the less sensitive hypoxic drive
What is hypoxic drive? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Backup system to control respiration.
Chemoreceptors in brain, aorta, and carotid arteries. But they are "satisfied" by a small amount of O2,
which means it is not as sensitive as pH control of CO2
What two areas of the brain are involved in respiration? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ medulla-controls
rhythm, initiates inspiration, sets base pattern for respirations, and stimulates diaphragm to contract.
pons-changes depth of inspiration, expiration or both.
True or false: arteries bring oxygenated blood to organs/capillaries - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ True in
most cases with one exception. Arteries (away) bring blood away from the heart. Usually this is
oxygenated blood. But the pulmonary arteries bring oxygen poor blood away from the heart, to the
lungs to be oxygenated.
What is the tidal volume? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ amount of air moved in/out of lungs in single
breath. Usually 500 ml in adult
What is inspiratory reserve volume? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Deepest breath you can take after
normal respiration
What is expiratory reserve volume/Vital Capacity? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ maximum amount you
can breathe out after normal breath.
What is residual volume? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Remaining gas in lungs after exhalation. This is to
keep lungs inflated
What is dead space? What structures are considered part of dead space? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔
Part of respiratory system not involved in active respiration. Air moves through here but little to no
respiration occurs. Mouth, trachea, bronchi and bronchioles considered dead space
What is minute volume? What does it measure? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Minute volume = RR x tidal
volume. Volume of air moving through lungs in 1 minute. Can be estimated quickly. Count RR rate. If
,normal check to see chest rise and fall (tidal volume). If chest rise and fall is weak and/or little air coming
out of nose, then the person has small minute volume.
Alveolar Minute Volume - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Volume of air moved through lungs in 1 minute
minus the dead space. Alveolar Minute Volume = (tidal volume - dead space) x RR
Alveolar Ventilation - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Volume of air that reaches alveoli.
Alveolar ventilation = tidal volume - dead space
Name the characteristics of normal breathing - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ 1. Normal rate (12-20)
2. regular pattern of inhalation/exhalation
3. clear bilateral lung sounds
4. regular and equal chest rise/fall
5. adequate depth (tidal volume)
What are the characteristics of inadequate breathing (adults)? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Chapter 6
1. labored breathing (activating accessory muscles of respiration)
2. 12< or >20 breaths/minute
3. muscle retractions above clavicles or between ribs and below rib cage
4. pale/cyanotic skin
5. cool, damp, clammy skin
6. tripod position
Chapter 10
1. 12< or 20>
2. irregular rhythm
3. diminished, absent or noisy auscultated breath sounds
4. reduced flow of expired air at nose/mouth
5. unequal or inadequate chest expansion
6. labored breathing
7. shallow depth
8. pale, cyanotic, cool or moist skin
, 9. retractions around ribs or above clavicles
What are agonal gasps? What should you do if a pt has agonal gasps? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Pt in
cardiac arrest has occasional gasping breaths because respiratory center in brain continues to send
signals to breathing muscles. Artificial ventilations and chest compressions.
Where are the alpha-1 receptors located? What is their effect? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ location-
blood vessels
constricted blood vessels, skin is pale, cool, clammy
They essentially increase BP
Where are the Beta-1 receptors located? What is their effect? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ location-
heart
effect- increased HR, increased force of contraction
They essentially increase CO since CO = HR x SV
Where are the Beta-2 receptors located? What is their effect? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ location -
lungs (beta-2 is beta-tube)
effect - bronchodilation (more air enters lungs)
Where are the muscarinic receptors located? What is their effect? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ location -
heart
effect - decreased HR, decreased force of contraction
Muscarinic is parasympathetic system and do complete opposite of Beta-1 which is sympathetic
What hormones activate the sympathetic nervous system? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Epineprhine and
norepineprhine, which are released from he adrenal gland after stimulation by the sympathetic nervous
system. These hormones stimulate heart and blood vessels.
What is pathophysiology? - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔✔ Study of how normal physiologic processes are
affected by disease
