Respiratory Failure in Children - Nemours

RESPIRATORY FAILURESurfactant# LaPlace's Law P = 2 T / r# This would predict that small alveoli would empty intolarge ones.# However Surfactant allows a decrease in surface tensionas the radius decreases.# Therefore Pressure stays the same.# Made by type II pneumocytes.# Surfactant deficiency occurs in many disease states.