Deck 20: Airway Anatomy and Physiology

Question 1

The upper airway extends from the glottis to the alveoli.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

For an average-sized adult with normal ventilator function, approximately 100,000 liters (L) of air pass through the nasal fossae each day.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

By the time a pediatric patient is in respiratory failure and cardiovascular collapse, it may be very difficult to reverse the process.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Compared to the adult trachea, the pediatric trachea is angled much more anteriorly as it travels inferiorly.

Question 5

The abdominal muscles are important for active expiration.

Question 6

For their size, pediatric patients consume less oxygen.

Question 7

The openings of the mouth and nose define the beginning of the airway.

Question 8

The rapid differentiation between hypoxia and excessive vagal tone is critical when a pediatric patient in respiratory distress becomes bradycardic.

Question 9

Pregnancy decreases minute ventilation.

Question 10

The airway is divided into the upper and lower airway.

Question 11

There are no known cardiac implications of negative pressure ventilation.

Question 12

For their size, pediatric patients have a disproportionately larger functional residual capacity.

Question 13

Pediatric patients tend to have copious secretions, increasing the risk for aspiration and difficulty maintaining an airway.

Question 14

Respiratory failure is the primary cause of death in pediatric patients, compared to cardiovascular failure in adults.

Question 15

In males, the thyroid cartilage is flatter than in females.

Question 16

A pediatric patient's head, when compared to his body, is disproportionately larger than an adult's head.

Question 17

The diaphragm is the primary bony structure of respiration.

Question 18

The nasopharynx lies anterior to the turbinates and superior to the soft palate.

Question 19

The muscles that produce phonation can also adduct the glottis and the false cords to provide an impenetrable barrier to foreign material.

Question 20

A child's tongue is disproportionately smaller compared to the oral cavity than an adult's tongue.

Question 21

____ measurement can be used in the prehospital environment in to assess an asthmatic patient's response to treatment.

A) Median flow
B) Peak flow
C) Terminal flow
D) Primary flow

Question 22

Approximately ____% of CO₂ is attached to hemoglobin.

A) 23
B) 28
C) 33
D) 35

Question 23

The ____ muscle elevates the sternum.

A) stylo-hyoideus
B) sternocleidomastoid
C) digastricus
D) trapezius

Question 24

The open space below the laryngeal opening and superior to the vocal cords is called the ____.

A) atrium
B) foyer
C) arch
D) vestibule

Question 25

The ____ is the area of the airway composed of the spaces behind the nose and the oral cavity.

A) oropharynx
B) nasopharynx
C) pharynx
D) nares

Question 26

The space formed between the anterior-superior surface of the epiglottis and the posterior base of the tongue is the ____.

A) pharynx
B) epiglottis
C) valecula
D) hyoid

Question 27

Primitive, involuntary ventilation control occurs in the medullary respiratory center of the ____ with major nerve input from the vagus nerve.

A) pons
B) pineal gland
C) medulla oblongata
D) thymus

Question 28

The most obvious difference between pediatric and adult patients is ____.

A) structure
B) size
C) shape
D) proportion

Question 29

From a functional perspective, the ____ is the primary structure for air entrance.

A) mouth
B) nose
C) face
D) pharynx

Question 30

The chest wall interacts with the lung parenchyma via the ____.

A) alveoli
B) pulmonary
C) pleura
D) bronchioles

Question 31

At birth, the tracheal opening lies at the level of the ____.

A) C-1
B) C-3
C) C-4
D) C-5

Question 32

The ____ is a conduit for respiratory gasses.

A) larynx
B) esophagus
C) pharynx
D) trachea

Question 33

Normal atmospheric pressure at sea level is ____ torr and each gas in air makes up a percentage of that total amount, or total pressure.

A) 160
B) 380
C) 521
D) 760

Question 34

The ____ bone is the only bone in the body that does not directly articulate with another bone.

A) hyoid
B) thyroid
C) collar
D) nasal

Question 35

____ is the process of exchanging gasses, specifically oxygen and carbon dioxide, between an organism and its environment.

A) Respiration
B) Ventilation
C) Gas transport
D) Expiration

Question 36

The ____ is a highly vascular "H" shaped structure that lies along the sides of the larynx and upper trachea.

A) thyroid gland
B) pancreas
C) thymus gland
D) adrenal gland

Question 37

For the pediatric patient, the ____ has the smallest cross-sectional area.

A) thyroid cartilage
B) trachea
C) laryngeal incisure
D) cricoids ring

Question 38

In times of apnea, the pediatric patient will become ____ up to twice as quickly as an adult.

A) anoxic
B) hypoxic
C) anemic
D) cyanotic

Question 39

The ____ is a "U" shaped structure composed of fibroelastic cartilage is attached to the anterior pharynx between the base of the tongue and the larynx.

A) hyoid
B) pharynx
C) epiglottis
D) valecula

Question 40

The ____ are the posterior-most structures of the laryngeal opening.

A) cricoid
B) arytenoids
C) glottis
D) valecula

Question 41

Pediatric patients are much more susceptible to ____________________ distention during positive pressure ventilation.

Question 42

____________________ ventilation measures the total volume of gas that passes through the lungs in a minute.

Question 43

The amount of oxygen available at the alveoli, called the ____________________ of oxygen, depends on the total atmospheric pressure and fraction of inspired oxygen.

Question 44

The ____________________ equals the tidal volume plus the inspiratory reserve volume and is a measure of the maximum air that can be inspired.

Question 45

Carbon dioxide levels are primarily controlled by ____________________.

Question 46

The surfaces of the alveoli are covered with ____________________, a fluid that decreases the alveoli's surface tension and prevents them from collapsing during expiration.

Question 47

The ____________________ muscles are most responsible for the modification of the cords.

Question 48

Air enters the nares and immediately passes along the ____________________.

Question 49

The act of breathing transports air entering the oral or nasal cavities to the ____________________ sacs where gas exchange can occur.

Question 50

The ____________________, also known as the "voice box," is the upper group of structures of the lower airway and opens with a number of cartilaginous structures.