What pulmonary gas exchange problems do you expect to see when surface area is lost due to emphysema?
A)hyperventilation
B)both hypercapnia and hypoxemia
C)eupnea
D)hypocapnia

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Emphysema is a lung disease that causes destruction of the alveoli, leading to a loss of surface area for gas exchange. This results in impaired oxygenation of the blood and accumulation of carbon dioxide, leading to both hypoxemia and hypercapnia. Hyperventilation can occur as a compensatory mechanism to increase oxygenation, but it is not a direct consequence of emphysema. Eupnea is normal breathing, which is not possible in the presence of emphysema. Hypocapnia is a decrease in carbon dioxide levels, which is not expected in emphysema.

What Pulmonary Gas Exchange Problems Do You Expect to See