NEED HELP W/Oxyhemoglobin Curve!!!!!!

fiveofpeep · Oct 3, 2008

this is probably more for daytonite but ill take a stab at it

For interventions you need to think of the cause. For ie CO poisoning causes a left shift with increased O2 affinity and decreased oxygen release to the tissues. Alkalosis is also another cause of the same. Can you imagine how those both wouldnt be treated exactly the same? I think it is more about treating the cause. I had an exam on this yesterday and my CC book did not mention any universal interventions.

Shunting is when blood returns to the left side of the heart from the pulmonary circuit without gas exchange having occurred. My understanding was that this could happen if there was a v/q mismatch.

For ie, if there is blood flow to a cluster of alveoli but those alveoli arent recieving ventilation d/t an obstruction upstream. That blood is going to come right back without having gotten any o2 due to a ventilation defecit.

Shunting can also occur if there is a R to L shunt in the heart due to a hole that shouldnt be there. I forgot what that hole is called.

V/Q mismatch is anything where the ventilation and perfusion are not balanced.

So a perfusion problem would be a pulmonary embolus where blood is blocked by a clot so downstream although there is ventilation to the alveolus affected, the blood is not getting there so oxygen is not getting there.

I'm unfamiliar with the term "diffusion limitation" but I know that diffusion is impaired when there is an increase in the distance for which gases to diffuse across.

For ie, with pulmonary edema or pulmonary scarring there is an increased thickness of the "alveolar-capillary membrane." As such, it takes longer for gases to diffuse and less exchange occurs. Another good example is ARDS with all that increased capillary permeability. Pneumonia also has similar increased capillary permeability.

Another example of a problem with diffusion is with atelectasis. When alveoli collapse into eachother there is overall a decrease in surface area for gas exchange.

Good luck :)

Jado0114 · Oct 4, 2008

Thanks! You've helped a lot! I think you're right on with the diffusion limitation...pretty sure that's what it's talking about!