Tag: pathophysiology
- How People Die: VQ Mismatch ()
Oxygen is an essential element for life and without oxygen humans can survive for few minutes only. There should be a balance between oxygen demand and delivery in order to maintain homeostasis within the body. The two main organ systems responsible for oxygen delivery in the body and maintaining homeostasis are respiratory and cardiovascular system. […]
- How People Die: Brain Misfire ()
Chemoreceptors Adjustments of respiration and circulation in response to alterations in the levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen ions in the body fluids are mediated by two distinct chemoreceptive elements, situated peripherally and centrally. The peripheral arterial chemoreceptors, located in the carotid and aortic bodies, are supplied with sensory fibres coursing in the sinus […]
- How People Die: Respiratory Failure ()
When a patient’s respiratory system becomes compromised, the patient is very close to death. If the patient doesn’t improve, the next step is death. Any condition or injury that affects breathing can cause respiratory failure. The condition or injury may affect the airway or lungs. Or it may affect the muscles, nerves, and bones that […]
- Typical Causes of Airway Obstruction ()
Tongue-Related Airway ObstructionA relaxed tongue is the most common cause of upper airway obstruction in patients who are unconscious or who have suffered spinal cord or other neurological injuries. The tongue may relax into the airway, causing an obstruction. In some cases, other injuries complicate this phenomenon. For example, a patient who is unconscious following […]
- Composition of Ambient Air ()
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, commonly known as air, retained by Earth’s gravity, surrounding the planet Earth and forming its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for liquid water to exist on the Earth’s surface, absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through […]
- How People Die: Shock ()
Hippocrates used the word exemia to signify a state of being “drained of blood. Shock is a common term thrown around EMS circles. Shock (hypoperfusion) is the state of insufficient blood flow to the tissues of the body as a result of problems with the circulatory system. Initial symptoms of shock may include weakness, fast heart rate, […]
- How People Die: Suffocation ()
There are numerous ways a person can be suffocated (the process of asphyxiation). Sometimes there is nothing structurally wrong with the airway, but something wrong with the air itself (low oxygen environment, poison gases). Perhaps the patient is suffocating because the there is a problem not with the airway, but the lungs. An infection of […]
- How People Die: Choking ()
The human body is replete with a host of defense mechanisms that protect from microorganisms, the environment, insects, etc. The most vulnerable target on the human body is the airway. Airway is the term used to describe the circuit that brings air from the environment and into the lungs. There are numerous reflexes, structures, and […]
- Disorders of Acid Base Balance ()
Normal arterial blood pH is restricted to a very narrow range of 7.35 to 7.45. A person who has a blood pH below 7.35 is considered to be in acidosis (actually, “physiological acidosis,” because blood is not truly acidic until its pH drops below 7), and a continuous blood pH below 7.0 can be fatal. […]
- It Takes Negative Pressure To Inhale ()
Inspiration (or inhalation) and expiration (or exhalation) are dependent on the differences in pressure between the atmosphere and the lungs. In a gas, pressure is a force created by the movement of gas molecules that are confined. For example, a certain number of gas molecules in a two-liter container has more room than the same […]