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Charles’ Law in Respiratory Care Essay

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The same forces that impact the compressed oxygen Respiratory Therapists handle every day, effect the work and outcome of breathing in the human body. The gas law, Charles’ Law, demonstrates the relationship between a contained volume of gas and its temperature, a directly proportional relationship. It states that in a contained space, if a gastemperature were to increase, the volume of the gas would increase as well (Colbert, et al., 2012). Charles’ Law is confirmed every day inside and outside a hospital, and it is especially important to understand when working with the human body. Most people, at one time or another, have seen the warning labels on aerosol cans warning against heating to extreme temperatures, and most medical …show more content…

Charles’ Law can be applied in the alleviation of symptoms associated with CF; thick, viscous secretions that block airways and harbor infections can be mobilized through raising the temperature of compressed oxygen and instilling water vapor into the inspired air. Although the humidification systems used with patients are not closed systems, such as the body, they still verify the principles of Charles’ Law in the direct correlation of the variant of temperature as it affects the volume of gas given to a patient and within their body. Relief of symptoms that create potential for pockets of infection, mucus hardening and plugging, and overall workability of the lungs is demonstrated through the use of humidification therapy and application of Charles’ Law. As medicine continues to develop and improve, the techniques used to treat patients must adapt as well. Although endotracheal intubation has been a practice with positive pressure ventilators since 1911, the system is still being refined today (Kacmarek, Stoller & Heuer, 2013). The application of Charles’ Law in Respiratory Care is not limited to just endotracheal intubation, however, since the vast majority of its use has been in the last hundred years it would be safe to assume a greater understanding of the relevance of Charles’ Law is still yet to come. As techniques

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