Memoria 4 Congreso de Infraestructura Hospitalaria 2017

Source:

www.scienceinthebox.com

Respirable Particles

•

Defined as particles of a size that allows them to remain

suspended in the air

Site of deposition

Upper respiratory tract

(nasal passages and

pharynx)

Middle respiratory tract

(trachea and bronchi)

Lower respiratory tract

(alveoli)

Particle or

droplet

diameter

5 - 30 µm

1 - 30 µm

<1µm

How does the body handle this

material?

Filtered by nasal hair

Mucociliary escalator (activity

increases with irritation)

Dissolution, or uptake by the

vascular system, with

subsequent engulfment by

macrophages. The

macrophages move the

material to the terminal

bronchi to be cleared by the

m co

ciliary es alator.