Physiology - Key points

 

 

Key Topics to learn

Respiratory

• Oxygen cascade
• Closing capacity
• Compliance and P-V curve for lung and chest walls
• Dead space (inc. vol vs capacity)
• FRC and significance
• O2 transport
• O2 dissociation curve (O2, hemoglobin, myoglobin, cardiac output, 2,3DPG, sats)
• CO2 transport
• difference between top and bottom @ normal and low volume
• Volume, pressure and flow during normal breathing
• Preoxygenation and O2 store
• Hypoxemia vs hypoxia
• ?Pneumothorax
• Flow-volume loop
• Surfactant
• non-respiratory functions of the lung
• Effects of high altitude, diving
• RBC and function (include pH, O2, CO2)
• Mechanics of breathing
• A-a gradient - neonate vs adult, effects of shunt and V/Q mismatch on pO2 and pCO2

 

Fluid

• Water balance (thirst, ADH, etc)
• Lymph
• CSF
• Tonicity
• Osmolarity/osmolality

 

 

Notes on lymph, CSF,