Which statement best describes emphysema?

Which statement best describes emphysema?

• A. It is a reversible condition that resolves in days.
• B. It affects only the chest wall.
• C. Emphysema involves damage to the alveoli leading to impaired gas exchange.
• D. It is caused by a bacterial infection of the lungs.

Answer: (C)

Emphysema involves damage to the walls of the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs, which reduces the surface area available for gas exchange and impairs diffusion of oxygen into the blood and removal of carbon dioxide. This destruction is not reversible, and over time it leads to hyperinflation and breathing difficulty due to loss of elastic recoil. It does not affect only the chest wall, and it isn’t caused by a bacterial infection ( infections can worsen symptoms but aren’t the root cause). The essential idea is that alveolar destruction leads to impaired gas exchange.

Emphysema involves damage to the walls of the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs, which reduces the surface area available for gas exchange and impairs diffusion of oxygen into the blood and removal of carbon dioxide. This destruction is not reversible, and over time it leads to hyperinflation and breathing difficulty due to loss of elastic recoil. It does not affect only the chest wall, and it isn’t caused by a bacterial infection ( infections can worsen symptoms but aren’t the root cause). The essential idea is that alveolar destruction leads to impaired gas exchange.