NURS 203 Lecture Notes - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Chlamydia Trachomatis, Alveolar Duct
Document Summary
In obstructive lung dz, no prob getting air in, but have a problem in getting the air out. B/c the elastic tissue support is destroyed, so it is very ez to fill up the lungs. However, b/c the elastic tissue support is destroyed, it is very difficult hard to get it out b/c it collapses on expiration, so you can get air in, but cannot get air out. In a pt with obstructive air dz, they breathe in with no problem, but have trouble getting it out. So, something is left over in the lung cannot get all the air out, therefore the residual volume is increased (whenever something is left over, it is called the residual"). So, with obstructive lung dz, you have increased ap diameter and diaphragms go down (depressed). There is only a certain amount of expansion your chest can go.
