Physiology and pathophysiology of the respiratory tract

Description

Respiratory diseases are the most common reason for a visit to the doctor's surgery. First and foremost are respiratory colds such as acute bronchitis, rhinitis or rhinopharyngitis. Then there are diseases such as bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis and COPD. The significance of these chronic diseases has increased in recent years. A further increase in the frequency of these diseases is forecast by the WHO.

The pharmacy is an important first port of call for patients with health complaints. It therefore makes sense to have a thorough understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory tract. With this understanding, we can confidently provide competent advice to patients in the pharmacy. In the first part of this topic, you will learn the anatomical basics of respiration. The most important processes of actual respiratory physiology are presented in the second part. In the third and fourth parts, you can use the knowledge from the first two parts to understand the pathophysiological processes and important pulmonary diseases discussed there.

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Learning objectives

After you have completed this topic...

• are familiar with the anatomy of the upper and lower airways and the lungs
• know how breathing works and are familiar with the most important respiratory parameters used in lung diagnostics
• know the two most important forms of pulmonary function testing: spirometry and whole-body plethysmography
• you have gained an overview of important clinical pictures affecting the respiratory tract: acute and chronic bronchitis, COPD and asthma