Clinical Correlation Conference
Respiratory Physiology
March 28, 2003
Philip Slocum, D. O.

Please read the questions below and work what you can before class.  The data you have to work with is in the history and physical document and in the graphs and values following the questions.  Be ready for class participation!

Questions

History and Physical  (download H & P, MS Word format, final)
(Be patient over a slow connection.)

  1. Why do patients become dyspneic?
  2. What systemic diseases have dyspnea as a presenting complaint?
  3. Why do these diseases cause dyspnea?
  4. What are the most likely causes of dyspnea in the present patient?
  5. What aspects of the history & physical support or refute your claim?
  6. How would you evaluate this patient for your suspicions of what the person has?

Physiology (see data below)

  1. What are the physiologic reasons for the hypoxemia in this patient?

  2. In physiological terms, why is this patient's PaCO2 elevated and PaO2 reduced?  
    (Consider using the idea Alveolar Air Equation and / or the Alveolar Ventilation Equation)

 

Patient's Blood Gas Values (PB = 740 mmHg):  

pH 7.34
PaCO2 52 mmHg
HCO3- 27 mEq/L
PaO2 52 mmHg

Pulmonary Function Tests:

Flow-Volume Loops: