Reference no: EM133198752

Scenario

Karen has previously been diagnosed with chronic bronchitis - a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways that results in thick viscous mucous obstructing multiple airways. In Karen's recent visit to the hospital, she was also diagnosed with right-sided heart failure due to her poorly managed pulmonary hypertension. As a consequence, she has also developed peripheral oedema (fluid shifting from the intravascular space to the interstitial). Question Five Answer the following questions regarding how chronic bronchitis and right-side heart failure affect the normal function of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

a) Describe two protective mechanisms of the respiratory tract to help prevent the passage of bacteria into the lungs

b) Use your understanding of ventilation-perfusion coupling (V/Q), to explain how the respiratory (ventilation) and cardiovascular (perfusion) systems would respond to airway obstruction (as seen in chronic bronchitis) and how this obstruction might result in in pulmonary hypertension

c) Use your understanding of capillary exchange to explain how ineffective contractions on the right- side heart (ie. Right-sided heart failure) can alter capillary exchange dynamics resulting in peripheral oedema