ABSTRACT
After reading the following chapter and undertaking personal study, you should be able to:
Define the term ‘pressure’.
List some of the units used to measure pressure, especially those used in nursing practice.
Describe how to measure arterial blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer and stethoscope.
Apply an understanding of Pascal’s principle to static fluids within the body.
Describe the factors that influence blood pressure.
Apply an understanding of Boyle’s law to breathing.
Apply an understanding of the laws of Dalton and Henry to gas exchange in the lungs.
Outline the factors that influence blood flow through a vessel, and relate this to disease.
Describe oxygen therapy and distinguish between fixed- and variableperformance oxygen masks.
Describe the operation of a nebuliser.
