Respiratory Physiology
1. A 49-year-old man has a pulmonary embolism that completely
blocks blood flow to his left lung. As a result, which of the following
will occur?
a. Alveolar PO2 in the left lung will be approximately equal to the PO2
in inspired air.
2. Giving hyperbaric oxygen to a blue bloater significantly improves
the patients breathing and leads to a quicker recovery.
a. FALSE
3. The peripheral chemoreceptors are more sensitive to decreased
PCO2 in plasma than decreased PO2.
a. FALSE
4. If an area of the lung is not ventilated because of a bronchial
obstruction, the capillary blood serving that area will have a PO2
that is:
a. Equal to mixed venous PO2
5. The oxygen saturation of hemoglobin will be significantly reduced
by all of these factors – high altitude, alcoholic ketoacidosis,
methemoglobinemia, massive transfusion, and increased levels of
2,3 BPG.
a. FALSE
6. The R-R interval is commonly increased during inspiration due to
increased venous return – a phenomenon respiratory sinus
arrythmia.
a. FALSE
7. Which of these structures is responsible for turning off inspiration
by limiting the burst of action potentials in the phrenic nerve?
a. Pneumotaxic center
8. Which of these directly stimulates the central chemoreceptors?
a. CSF pH.
9. In the alveolar gas exchange, which of these gases is diffusion
limited?
a. CO
10. Which of these receptors involved in regulating breathing
produces a decrease in breathing rate when activated?
a. Lung stretch receptors.
Respiratory Physiology
11. In a patient with severe pulmonary fibrosis (a restrictive
airway disease), these lung volume alterations are all expected
features, decreased total lung capacity, decreased FEV1/FVC ratio,
increased residual capacity, and decreased peak expiratory flow
rate.
a. FALSE
12. A 38-year-old woman moves with her family from New York
City (sea level) to Leadville, Colorado (10,200 ft above sea level).
Which of the following will occur as a result of residing at high
altitudes?
a. Shift to the right of the hemoglobin -O2 dissociation curve
13. Which alveolar cell type is responsible for producing
surfactant?
a. Type II pneumocytes
14. Which volume remains in the lungs after a tidal volume (Vt) is
expired?
a. Functional residual capacity (FRC)
15. Which one of these patients is most likely to have atelectasis?
a. Airway pressure = +15 cm H2O and intrapleural pressure = +20 cm
H2O
16. A 35-year-old man has a vital capacity (VC) of 5 L, a tidal
volume (Vt) of 0.5 L, inspiratory capacity of 3.5 L, and a functional
residual capacity (FRC) of 2.5 L. What is his expiratory reserve
volume (ERV)?
a. 1.5 L
17. Carboxyhemoglobin makes the plasma a cherry-red color.
a. TRUE
18. Tissue hypoxia may result from these conditions except for:
a. Right shift of the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve
19. An increase in affinity hemoglobin for CO2 due to a decrease in
O2 binding is described as the:
a. Haldene Effect
Respiratory Physiology
20. In a patient with pulmonary arteritis and loss of pulmonary
capillaries the suspected ventilation to perfusion ratio will be
decreased due to an increase in pulmonary dead space
a. FALSE
21. A healthy 65-year-old man with a tidal volume (Vt) of 0.45 L
has a breathing frequency of 16 breaths/min. His arterial PO2 is 41
mmHg, and the PCO2 of his expired air is 35 mmHg. What is his
alveolar ventilation?
a. 6.14 L/min
22. Which of these is true about the PO2 at the end of the
pulmonary capillaries in perfusion-limited diffusion?
a. It is equal to systemic arterial PO2
23. Only free dissolved gases produce a partial pressure in plasma.
a. TRUE
24. In the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve, a rightward shift
if associated with:
a. Increased P50
25. A 12-year-old boy has a severe asthmatic attach with
wheezing. He experiences rapid breathing and becomes cyanotic. His
arterial PO2 is 60 mmHg and his PCO2 is 30 mmHg. To treat this
patient, the physician should administer:
a. A 2 adrenergic agonist
26. According to Boyle’s law of gases, the pressure of a gas at
constant temperature is directly proportional to the volume of the
gas in a chamber.
a. FALSE
27. The effect of increased PCO2 and decreased pH on reducing
the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen is described as the:
a. Bohr Effect
28. In your assessment of two patients who both weigh 150 lbs (JP
with a tidal volume of 500 mL and ventilatory rate of 12
breaths/min & Becca with a tidal volume of 250 mL and ventilatory
rate of 25 breaths/min) presenting in the ER, JP requires immediate
attention due to the poorer respiratory status.
a. FALSE
Respiratory Physiology
29. The exchange of chloride for bicarbonate ions across the red
blood cell membrane is accomplished by the anion exchanger called:
a. Band 3 protein
30. Which is not a consistent --- in a patient who is engaged in
moderate exercise?
a. A greater V/Q mismatch
31. Which of these structures of the respiratory system is not
involved in gaseous exchange?
a. Segmental Bronchi
32. The significance of the surfactant produced in the alveoli is to:
a. Decrease surface tension in the alveoli and expand the lungs.
33. Compared with the systemic circulation, the pulmonary
circulation has a:
a. Lower resistance
34. Asthma is characterized by hypersensitive airways, edema of
the bronchial walls, and increased mucus plug formation in the
airways.
a. TRUE
35. In the transport of CO2 from the tissues of the lungs, which of
the following occurs in the venous blood?
a. Conversion of CO2 and H2O to H+ and HCO3- in the red blood cells
(RBCs).
36. Which of the following causes of hypoxia is characterized by a
decreased arterial PO2 and an increased A-a gradient?
a. Right to left cardiac shunt
37. In the hemoglobin O2 dissociation curves, a rightward shift
could be caused by:
a. Strenuous exercise
38. In a patient that climbed to the top of mount Everest, which is
the correct sequence of respiratory events:
a. Decreased alveolar PO2 – Decreased Plasma PO2 – Increased
plasma PCO2 – Hyperventilation
Respiratory Physiology
39. A rapid ascent to high altitudes will commonly result in
hypoxia, hyperventilation, metabolic alkalosis, and pulmonary
edema.
a. FALSE
40. Expiration is a passive process due to the elastic recoil of the
lungs. A loss of elastic recoil results in extremely compliant lungs.
a. True
41. In patients with acute respiratory distress, accessory muscles
of inspiration are recruited to help them breath. These muscles
include the sternocleomastoid, scalenes, and the muscles of the
anterior abdominal wall.
a. FALSE
42. An infant born prematurely in gestational week 25 has
neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. Which of the following
would be expected in this infant?
a. Collapse of the small alveoli
43. The proportion of oxygen in inspired air in Lynchburg is about
78.09%, making oxygen the most important gas for humans.
a. FALSE
44. Nitrogen has a high degrees of solubility in plasma with
normal atmospheric pressure
a. FALSE
45. In a patient with pneumonia and hypoxia, hypercapnia is
always present due to high solubility of CO2 in plasma.
a. FALSE
46. Which of the following is the site of highest airway resistance?
a. Medium-sized bronchi
47. A person with a ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) defect has
hypoxemia and is treated with supplemental O2. The supplemental
O2 will be most helpful if the person’s predominant V/Q defect is:
a. Low V/Q
48. Smooth muscles are not present in this structure of the
respiratory tree:
a. Alveolar sacs
49. In which vascular bed does hypoxia cause vasoconstriction?
Respiratory Physiology
a. Pulmonary
50. The epithelium of which part of the respiratory tree is not
ciliated?
a. Alveolar sacs
51. The volume of air in the respiratory tract that does not
participate in gaseous exchange is called:
a. Dead space
52. The lungs diffusion capacity is generally increased in which of
these conditions?
a. Exercise
53. The most important muscle of inspiration is the:
a. Diaphragm
54. Which of the following is true during inspiration?
a. Intrapleural pressure is more negative than it is during expiration.
55. In a maximal expiration, the total volume expired is:
a. Vital capacity
56. In a baby who was born at 30 weeks of gestation, there is a low
lecithin to sphingomyelin ratio due to reactive proliferation of the
type I alveolar pneumocytes.
a. False
57. In which of these conditions is there a limited benefit derived
from oxygen supplementation?
a. A large right to left shunting of blood in the heart.
58. Which volume remains in the lungs after a maximal
expiration?
a. Residual volume
59. These favor a left-shift of the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation
curve except:
a. Increased H+ concentration
60. Which person would be expected to have the largest A- a
gradient?
a. Person with pulmonary fibrosis
61. Chronic obstructive sleep apnea is commonly complicated bt
pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale.
Respiratory Physiology
a. TRUE
62. Pulse oximetry is a technique used to measure this parameter:
a. Arterial O2 saturation
63. Which of the following changes occurs during strenuous
exercise?
a. Ventilation rate and O2 consumption increase to the same extent.
64. Which of these receptors involved in regulating breathing
produces a decrease in breathing rate when activated?
a. Lung stretch receptors
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
