Ventilation

DR. AYESHA ALAM

Ventilation

 Rate at which air enters or leaves the lungs

 Pulmonary Ventilation
 Alveolar Ventilation
Pulmonary Ventilation

 Volume of air moving in and out of respiratory tract in a given unit of time during
quiet breathing
 Also called minute ventilation or respiratory minute volume
Calculation

 Pulmonary Ventilation = Tidal Volume(Respiratory Rate)

=500(12)
=6L
Alveolar Ventilation

 Amount of air utilized for gaseous exchange per min

Calculation

 Alveolar Ventilation = (Tidal Volume – Dead Space) Respiratory Rate

=(500-150)12
=4200 ml/min
Dead Space

 Area of respiratory tract that does not take part in gaseous exchange
 Air present in dead space is called dead space air
Types of Dead Space

 Anatomical Dead Space

 Physiological Dead Space
Anatomical Dead Space

 Nose upto terminal bronchioles

 Passage for air movement
Physiological Dead Space

 Includes anatomical dead space plus two additional volumes

 1: Air in non functional alveoli
 2: Air in alveoli who does not receive adequate blood flow
Normal Value of Dead Space

 150 ml that is equal to anatomical dead space

 Because all alveoli are functioning and receiving adequate blood flow normally
 Increases in pulmonary diseases
Measurement

 Single breath nitrogen washout method

 Dead Space = Area without N2 Volume of Expired Air
Area with N2+ area without N2
Ventilation Perfusion Ratio

 Ratio of alveolar ventilation and the amount of blood that perfuses the alveoli
 Expressed as VA/Q
Normal Value

 Ventilation Perfusion Ratio= Alveolar Ventilation

Pulmonary Blood Flow
= 4200
5000
= 0.84
Significance

 Signifies the gaseous exchange

 Ventilation without perfusion = Dead Space
 Perfusion without Ventilation = Shunt
Variation in Ventilation Perfusion Ratio

 Ratio increases if ventilation increases without any change in blood flow

 Ratio decreases if blood flow increases without any change in ventilation
 Sitting Position ; Blood flow decreases in zone 1 of lung so ventilation perfusion
ratio increases
 At the same time blood flow increases in zone 3 of lung so ventilation perfusion
ratio decreases
Inspired Air

 Atmospheric air which is inhaled during inspiration

 Highest percentage of nitrogen then oxygen
Alveolar air

 Air present in the alveoli of lungs

 Collected by Haldane-Priestely Method
Alveolar vs Inspired Air

 Alveolar air partially replaced by atm air during each breath

 Oxygen diffuses from alveolar air into the pulmonary capillaries constantly
 C02 diffuses from pulmonary blood to alveolar air
 Dry atmospheric air is humidified before entering into alveoli
Expired Air

 Amount of air that is exhaled during expiration

 Combination of dead space air and alveolar air
 Collection by Douglas bag