Respiratory Medicine in Dundee
Combined Week 1 Formative Assessment
Click here to access the week 1 combined formative assessment tool from 2009. This tool is currently only available on BlackBoard, but will, soon-ish, be transferred on to DC 3.0.
More formative assessment will be converted to a more useable format over the coming weeks, and will continue after the block completes.
Physiology EMI
Answer List
a) Residual volume
b) Vital capacity
c) Tidal volume
d) Inspiratory reserve volume
e) Functional residual capacity
f) Expiratory reserve volume
g) Total lung capacity
h) Inspiratory capacity
From the list above choose the lung volume or capacity to match each of these statements:
1) Maximum volume of air that can be inspired at the end of a normal quiet expiration
Inspiratory Capacity
2) Volume of air in lungs at end of normal passive expiration
Functional Residual Capacity
3) Maximum volume of air that can be moved out during a single breath following a maximal inspiration
Vital Capacity
Physiology Multiple Choice
Question 1. Select the correct statement from the list below:
a) The ratio of FEV1 to FVC is increased in patients with obstructive lung disease
False, it is decreased.
b) During active expiration trans-airway pressure equals pleural pressure minus airway pressure
False, it is airway pressure minus pleural pressure
c) Parasympathetic stimulation causes bronchodilatation
False, it causes bronchoscontriction. Anticholinergics are used as bronchodilators.
d) Sympathetic stimulation causes brochoconstriction
False, it causes bronchodilatation. Beta agonists are used as bronchodilators.
e) The work of breathing is increased when the pulmonary compliance is decreased
True, because resistance changes inversely with compliance
f) The pulmonary compliance is increased by lung fibrosis
False, it is decreased
g) The Peak Flow Meter is used to measure the vital capacity at bedside
False, it measures peak flow
h) The vital capacity is usually higher than normal in patients with restrictive lung disease
False, it’s decreased
Question 2. Two healthy male medical students are breathing at the same normal resting respiratory rate and the same normal resting tidal volume. Medical student “A” decided to double his respiratory rate and half his tidal volume. Medical student “B” decided to double his tidal volume and half his respiratory rate.
Which of the following statements is most likely to be correct?
a) Neither of the students would achieve an increase in alveolar ventilation.
b) Both students would achieve the same increase in alveolar ventilation.
c) Only student “A” would increase his alveolar ventilation.
d) Only student “B” would increase his alveolar ventilation.
e) Both students would increase their alveolar ventilation, but student “A” would achieve a greater increase in his alveolar ventilation.
f) Both students would keep their alveolar ventilation unchanged.
g) Both students would decrease their alveolar ventilation.
Answer D – The key to the question is to consider the anatomical dead-space. Halving the tidal volume reduces the alveolar component of the tidal breath while keeping the dead-space the same. Despite doubling the respiratory rate, student A doubles his original dead-space volume, but not his alveolar ventilation volume. Contrast this with student B who doubles his tidal volume: the dead-space remains the same, but the alveolar component is increased in extra proportion. Even with half the respiratory rate, the alveolar component of the total inspired air is greater.
