RESPIRATORY

SYSTEM

ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY

ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY

OVERVIEW OF THE
RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS

GAS EXCHANGE

The major function of the respiratory system is

gas exchange between
the
external
environment
and
an
organism's
circulatory system.

GAS EXCHANGE

In humans and other mammals, this exchange

facilitates oxygenation of the blood with a
concomitant removal of carbon dioxide and
other
gaseous metabolic wastes from
the
circulation

ACID- BASE HOMEOSTASIS

When carbon
dioxide
concentrations are
elevated, the rate
and depth of
ventilation is
increased.
Peripheral
chemoreceptors
that are sensitive to
lower oxygen
concentrations
provide a
secondary drive to
ventilation.

IMMUNOLOGIC PROTECTION
The upper and lower respiratory
tract includes mucous glands
and ciliated epithelial surfaces
that trap inhaled particles and
remove them from the
respiratory tract. Immunologic
activity is attributed to
immunoglobulins, enzymes,
and other mediators that
destroy or inactivate inhaled
foreign materials.

METABOLIC and ENDOCRINE

FUNCTIONS of the LUNGS
They contain a fibrinolytic
system that lyses clots in the
pulmonary
vessels.
They
release
a
variety
of
substances that enter the
systemic arterial blood and
they remove other substances
from the systemic venous
blood that reach them via the
pulmonary artery.

VOCALIZATION
The vibration of air
flowing across the
larynx (vocal cords), in
humans,
and
the
syrinx, in birds, results
in sound. Because of
this, gas movement is
extremely
vital
for
communication
purposes.

COUGHING and SNEEZING

Sneezing causes irritants caught in
the mucus which
lines
the
respiratory tract are expelled or
moved to the mouth where they
can be swallowed.

This increases the expired

airflow rate to dislodge and
remove any irritant particle or
mucus.

REVIEW OF THE COMMON

RESPIRATORY
ASSESSMENTS

COUGH

COMMON QUESTIONS in
ASSESSING COUGH
1. How long have you had the cough?
2. How would you describe the cough?
3. What time of the day is the cough worse?
4. Is the cough related to meals?
5. Is there a possibility of a foreign body
such as a peanut having gone down the
wrong way?

COMMON QUESTIONS in
ASSESSING COUGH
6. Past medical history? Family history? Medications?
7. Are you exposed to any smoke or fumes? Occupational
history?
8. Burning sensation in throat or chest when you cough?

9. Fever?

DIFFICULTY of
BREATHING

MANIFESTATIONS
1. Nasal flaring

2. Cyanosis

MANIFESTATIONS
3. Pursed-lip breathing

4. Jugular Neck Vein Distention

MANIFESTATIONS
5. Use of Accessory muscles

6. Unusual posturing

MANIFESTATIONS
7. Tachycardia

8. Tachypnea

SPUTUM

Sputum is mucus that is coughed up from the

lower airways. In medicine, sputum samples
are usually used for microbiological
investigations of respiratory infections and
cytological investigation of respiratory
systems.

The best sputum samples contain very

little saliva, as this contaminates the
sample with oral bacteria.

DIFFERENT TYPES of SPUTUM

1. Clear sputum (colorless)
It is produced and secreted in moderate
amounts to moisten the respiratory tract
and trap dust and microorganisms (mucus)
and lubricate the mouth and aid with
chewing, swallowing and digestion (saliva).

DIFFERENT TYPES of SPUTUM

2. Blood-Stained
Blood stained sputum may be due to
tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, pulmonary
embolism or lung cancer.

DIFFERENT TYPES of SPUTUM

2. Blood-Stained
A. Blood-streaked sputum - inflammation
of throat, bronchi; lung cancer;
B. Pink sputum - sputum evenly mixed
with blood, from alveoli, small bronchi seen
in pulmonary edema
C. Massive blood - cavitary
tuberculosis of lung,
lung abscess, bronchiectasis,
infarction, embolism.

DIFFERENT TYPES of SPUTUM

3. Yellow mucus
It is due to the presence of white blood cells,
particularly neutrophils and eosinphils. With
infections, it is often in the acute setting that yellow
sputum is evident due to the presence of live
neutrophils. With allergic conditions, particularly
airway hypersensitivity, the yellowish sputumis due
to the presence of eosinophils.
Acute bronchitis white to yellow
Acute pneumonia white to yellow
Asthma white to yellow (thick)

DIFFERENT TYPES of SPUTUM

4. Rust-colored sputum
Seen in pneumococcal pneumonia.
5. Red-brown or chocolate colored sputum
Seen in amebic liver abscess caused by
lung collapse lung penetration amebiasis.
6. Jam-like sputum
Seen in paragonimiasis

DIFFERENT TYPES of SPUTUM

7. Gray or black sputum
Found in a variety of pneumoconiosis, such
as coal pneumoconiosis
8. Brown sputum
Seen in pulmonary infarction, pulmonary
hemosiderosis yellow PAP.

DIFFERENT TYPES of SPUTUM

9. Green Sputum
It is indicative of a long-standing, possibly chronic,
infection. The color is a result of the breakdown of
neutrophils and the release of verdoperioxidase /
myeloperioxidase, an enzyme that is present within
these cells.
Pneumonia white, yellow or green
Lung abscess green, sudden
accumulation of large amount of sputum if
the abscess ruptures
Chronic bronchitis clear, grey to green
(infection)
Bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis green