Anesthesia Pharmacology Chapter 4:  Anesthesia Fundamentals

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Table of Contents

Practice Questions

*(question attribution, Ira Rampil, M.D., 1995)

 

 Gases

"We live submerged at the bottom of an ocean of air - Torricelli, 1644"

3Lift Pump

  • Note rod "C" that lifts movable piston which contains a valve "B". 

  • Also, note the valve A. When rod  C is lifted, valve B closes and valve C opens. 

  • Then the water from below the piston will flow to the chamber and the water above the piston will flow out concurrently. 

  • Now when rod C is pushed down, valve A closes and valve B opens which permits water to flow above the piston.

 

 

 

In the Torricellian tube, the atmospheric pressure supports, mercury 760 mm tall (Figure 12.2, reference 4)

  • "The height of mercury is determined by the need to balance the weight of mercury lifted against the weight of the air above it.

  • The weight of air presses down uniformly on everything on the surface of the earth, including the surface of the pool of mercury in the beaker.

  • This pool transmits the pressure uniformly through its volume and therefore maintains the height of mercury in the glass tube.

  • The 76.0 mm of mercury has a weight equal to the weight of a column of air with the same cross-sectional area and a height of 150 km (roughly the height of our atmosphere)."

    • Figure and legend by Professor Larry Gladney, Ph.D. Dept. of Physics, University of Pennsylvania. 

 

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Regional anesthesia: Bier Block

 

 

Pressure "Bed" sore secondary to loss of blood flow with subsequent tissue necrosis

 

Clinical Correlation

Bier block:  double tourniquet location7

 

Bier block:  elastic bandage wrapping to exsanguinate the arm7

 

 

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Gas Laws

Abbreviations

Atm (atmosphere)

mmHg (millimeters of mercury)

Torr (same as mmHg)

Pa (Pascal; kPa = kiloPascal)

K (Kelvin)

oC = degrees Celsius

 

Conversions

K  =  °C  +  273

1 cm3 (cubic centimeter)  =  1 mL (milliliter)

1 dm3 (cubic decimeter)  =  1 L (liter)  =  1000 mL

0.00 °C  =  273 K

1.00 atm  =  760.0 mm Hg  =  101.325 kPa  =  101,325 Pa

 

 

 

Variables allowed to change

Variables held constant

Resulting relationship

Formal designation

pressure and volume

number of molecules and temperature

P1V1 = P2V2

Boyle's Law

 

Boyle's Experimental Data2

Volume (ml)

Pressure (Torr)

 PV (ml*Torr)

10

760.0

7.60 x 103

20

379.6

7.59 x 103

30

253.2

7.60 x 103

40

191.0

7.64 x 103

 

Another graph of pressure vs. volume for a gas enclosed in a cylinder at constant temperature (Boyle's law requires that P*V is constant)--Figure 12.4 from reference 4

In this figure, the gas is enclosed in the cylinder at constant temperature.  The volume of the gas in the gauge may be neglected.  (figure 12.5 from reference 4)



 

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Variables allowed to change

Variables held constant

Resulting relationship

Formal designation

volume and temperature

number of molecules and pressure

V1/T1=V2/T2

Charles' Law

 

 

Charles' Experimental Data2

ml

Temperature (oC)

Temperature (oK)

ml/oK

40.0

0.0

273.2

0.146

44.0

25.0

298.2

0.148

47.7

50.0

323.2

0.148

51.3

75.0

348.2

0.147

55.3

100.0

373.2

0.148

80.0

273.2

546.3

0.146

 The top case represents a lower temperature case; note that the weight exerting the downward force is the same in both cases.  The volume & temperature must change in a coordinated matter to ensure that the relationship  "V / T =constant" is maintained [volume is directly proportional to temperature]. Figure 12.6 from reference 4.

 

 

Ideal Gas Law

 

2Comparison of Variables & Constants in Gas Laws
Variables allowed to change Variables held constant Resulting relationship Formal designation
pressure and volume number of molecules and temperature P1V1 = P2V2 Boyle's Law
volume and temperature number of molecules and pressure V1/T1=V2/T2 Charles' Law
pressure and temperature number of molecules and volume P1/T1=P2/T2 Amonton's Law
number molecules and volume pressure and temperature V1/n1=V2/n2 Avogadro's Law
pressure, volume, & temperature number of molecules P1V1/T1=P2V2/T2 Combined Gas Law
pressure, volume, temperature & number of molecules

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P1V1/n1T1=P2V2/n2T2 Ideal Gas Law
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