Disorders of Ventilation and Gas Exchange: Case Study

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Disorders of Ventilation and Gas Exchange: Case Study

Table of Contents

Introduction
Mechanism of Action of Corticosteroid Inhaler
Reason Asthma Patients Become Physically Fatigued
How the Body Compensates for an Increase in CO2
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Hypoxaemia and hypercapnia show pathogenesis and lung inability to generate enough gas exchange, while normal lungs readily exchange breathing gases. To effectively care for individuals with lung disorders, it is essential to comprehend how gases are moved and why gas exchange is inadequate. This essay studies the case of 5-year-old Emmanuel, who takes a corticosteroid inhaler to treat his asthma. The paper will describe the mechanism of action of corticosteroids, the physiological and psychological effects of protracted asthma attacks, and the effects of hypercapnia on the central nervous system.

Mechanism of Action of Corticosteroid Inhaler

A corticosteroid inhalers action involves anti-inflammatory properties that aid in opening airways and ease breathing. Since daily corticosteroid bronchodilators can assist in achieving and maintaining control of chronic asthma attacks, they are also known as maintenance or long-term control respirators. They function over time to produce airways less susceptible to asthma stressors, reducing mucus secretion, avoiding and reducing edema in the respiratory system, and treating the inflammation inside the airway passages.

Inhaled corticosteroids have strong glucocorticoid action and operate directly on cells to decrease inflammation by reducing capillary permeability and lysosomal stability. After inhalation, corticosteroid drugs are rapidly absorbed, and the maximum plasma concentration is reached after about 30 minutes (Hodgens & Sharman, 2021). Then corticosteroids bind to plasma proteins and glucocorticoid receptors in the cells cytoplasm (Hodgens & Sharman, 2021). They inhibit the release of cytokines from lymphocytes and macrophages, inhibit the release of inflammatory mediators by eosinophils, and reduce the metabolism of arachidonic acid, which is involved in the metabolism of prostaglandins (Hodgens & Sharman, 2021). Hepatic oxidation happens, with a half-life of up to 24 hours for clearance. As a result, corticosteroids relieve inflammation and help breathe more efficiently, quickly stopping an asthma episode.

Reason Asthma Patients Become Physically Fatigued

Physical exhaustion due to low oxygen concentration or oxygen deficiency occurs during prolonged asthma episodes. Relapses of asthma cause hypotension or decreased oxygen concentrations in the blood, which makes asthmatic individuals feel exhausted. Irregular gas exchanges are among the physiological processes throughout a chronic asthma episode. A discrepancy in respiration and perfusion results in cerebral arterial hypoxia. Patients with acute asthmatic conditions have enhanced alveolar blood circulation, extremely low blood oxygenation ratios, and reduced respiration in a setting of high ventricular activity.

Individuals with acute asthma have higher airway obstruction and bidirectional bronchospasm, followed by rapid breathing rate, early slight air passage constriction, lower flow velocity, arterial hypertension, and reduced flexible reflex. Peak exhalation flow (PEF) and compelled exhalation amount in one second significantly drop, total lung capacities rise and remaining operational capacity. Functional residual volume may increase by up to 150% and 350%, respectively, of their expected values. Lung capacity fluctuations keep narrowed lungs healthy (James, 2020). Reduced elastomeric forces result in an upsurge in resistance forces, which lengthens the time it takes for the stimulated tidal volume to expire fully.

Inspiration starts at levels where the heart and lungs exhibit positive rebound pressure during the inadequate volume of air expiration. In the procedure of progressive inflation, increased pulmonary pressures at the close of exhalation encourage the existence of air circulation. The process is influenced by the following factors: exterior flow restriction, blood volume, respiratory rate integral time, and breathing muscle movement during expulsion (James, 2020). Although active inflation initially benefits individuals, it eventually negatively impacts expiratory muscle length connections, causes the lungs and ribcage to enlarge, and weakens the contractions force. As the acute aggravation continues to be unreactive, auxiliary and inspiratory muscles, begin to contract, increasing the task of inhaling and intensifying weariness (James, 2020). The substantial variability of the alveoli is caused by increased susceptibility, bronchospasm, mucus, and auto-positive end exhalation pressures of peripheral airways.

Chronic asthma is a potentially life-threatening disease and therefore increases anxiety and depression in many patients. After prolonged asthma attacks, the nervous system and the human psyche experience severe overload, which is why it can cause panic attacks, anxiety, and severe depressive episodes (Plourde et al., 2017). Physical and emotional exhaustion affects patients as psycho-emotional burnout. In children, chronic asthma is associated with an increased risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (Plourde et al., 2017). In addition, patients with asthma exhibit increased shyness and impulsivity, or there is a disease of psychopathic behavior, aggressiveness, and infection with psychosis.

How the Body Compensates for an Increase in CO2

In those with severe and acute bronchial diseases, inadequate carbon dioxide clearance from the bloodstream and pulmonary respiratory distress lead to hypercapnia. The body adjusts for a rise in CO2 by using biologically standard systems in its tissues to sense and react to fluctuations in the concentrations of gaseous molecules. In the mitochondrial of eukaryotic cells, oxidative protein kinase results in the production of carbon dioxide. Compared to the environment, mammalian cells contain the gas in physiologically more significant quantities. Depending on its gradient of concentration across the membrane surface and the operation of the moisture partition, the gas moves across the cellular layers of the tissues through diffusion. Inadequate CO2 gas removal raises the differential pressure of CO2 in the bloodstream, increases the amount of CO2 in the vertebral fluid, and causes acidity of the cerebrospinal solvent. The body adjusts the volume and respiratory rate in reaction to the elevated CO2 levels through various central neurological system locations monitoring and triggering the actions quick adaptive responses.

The CO2-sensitive gene encoding protein, pH-sensitive ion channels, and core co2 chemosensing are some processes contributing to CO2 adaptation. A molecule of ATP is released in reaction to an increase in co2 in the CO2-sensitive connexin polypeptide pathway (Pawar & Kim, 2019). The K+ networks involvement in CO2-dependent post-translational alteration and the hyperpolarization of excitability are involved in the process. The pH-sensitive ion channels undergo physiological changes to represent the base/acid balance of the bloodstream to detect and react to increased carbon dioxide concentrations.

There are many adverse effects of hypercapnia on the central nervous system. To maintain tissue circulation and respiration through extracellular pH protection and maintenance, the situation triggers a variety of techniques in organs, including the cardiac and cerebral cortex (Bon, 2021). Central nervous system effects in acute, profound hypoxia include transient cognitive decline based on changes in attention caused by impaired frontal/central brain connection (Bickler et al., 2017). Cerebrovascular dilatation, which encourages a rise in cranial pressures and modifies the arterial tension in the neurological system, is one of the effects of hypercapnia on the systems peripheral muscles and nervous system. Some people with severe asthma develop pulmonary edema and intracranial hemorrhage due to a hypercapnia consequence. Due to the situations permanent acute metabolic acidosis, the myocardia reaction reduces the force of contraction.

Conclusion

Ventilation and gas exchange disorders are chronic and require constant monitoring and treatment. In treating chronic asthma, corticosteroid inhalers are used, which bind to proteins in the blood plasma, reducing inflammation and muscle spasm. Their long-term use is quite effective and safe. However, this does not save patients from recurrent asthma attacks, which can be severe and prolonged. Such attacks have several negative effects on the physical condition of patients, including effects on the central nervous system. Moreover, they exacerbate the psychological state of asthma patients, making them more prone to anxiety and depressive disorders.

References

Bickler, P. E., Feiner, J. R., Lipnick, M. S., Batchelder, P., MacLeod, D. B., & Severinghaus, J. W. (2017). Effects of acute, profound hypoxia on healthy humans: Implications for safety of tests evaluating pulse oximetry or tissue oximetry performance. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 124(1), 146-153. Web.

Bon, I. L. (2021). Experimental cerebral ischemia causes disturbances in mitochondrial respiration of neurons. Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research, 40(4). Web.

Hodgens, A., & Sharman, T. (2021). Corticosteroids. StatPearls Publishing. Web.

James, A. L. (2020). Relationship between airway wall thickness and airway hyperresponsiveness. Airway Wall Remodelling In Asthma, 127. Web.

Pawar, A. A., & Kim, H. (2019). Reaction parameters dependence of the CO2/epoxide coupling reaction catalyzed by tunable ionic liquids, optimization of comonomer-alternating enhancement pathway. Journal of CO2 Utilization, 33, 500512. Web.

Plourde, A., Lavoie, K. L., Raddatz, C., & Bacon, S. L. (2017). Effects of acute psychological stress induced in laboratory on physiological responses in asthma populations: A systematic review. Respiratory Medicine, 127, 21-32. Web.

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