What is the goal of ventilation? What are some clinical signs and symptoms of altered oxygenation?

Ventilation, or breathing, is the movement of air through the conducting passages between the atmosphere and the lungs. The air moves through the passages because of pressure gradients that are produced by contraction of the diaphragm and thoracic muscles (Mechanics of Ventilation, 2023). This process is what allows us to physically breathe. Ventilation usually involves the respiratory system, which includes the nose, mouth, lungs, diaphragm, and respiratory passages, such as the bronchus and bronchioles. 

Impaired gas exchange is a disruption of the oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange in the lung tissues. Impaired gas exchange can manifest with a variety of signs and symptoms. In a physical assessment, a patient with impaired gas exchange may present with one or more of the following; Dyspnea, altered respiratory patterns, restlessness, lethargy and cyanosis (Powers & Dhamoon, 2022). Hypoxia which is low levels of oxygen in your body tissues. It causes symptoms like confusion, restlessness, difficulty breathing, rapid heart rate, and bluish skin. When you breathe, you take oxygen into your lungs, where it travels through your airways out into small sacs called alveoli. From there, it gets picked up by your blood in small vessels that travel close to the alveoli (capillaries). Finally, it travels through your blood out to other tissues. Many chronic heart and lung conditions can put you at risk for hypoxia. Hypoxia can be life-threatening. You’ll need to go to the hospital to get treatment for hypoxia and to keep a check on your oxygen level.

The most important thing is to get more oxygen into your body. Lab values and vital signs can also point to potential impaired gas exchange. Increased heart rate and decreased oxygen saturation can be expected in the vital signs of a patient with impaired gas exchange. Abnormal arterial blood gas values or blood pH may also be present (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).