Final answer:
In pink puffers emphysema, respiration typically increases due to the decreased surface area for gas exchange and increased airway resistance, which are worsened by a respiratory infection such as pneumonia.
Step-by-step explanation:
In patients with pink puffers emphysema, which is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), respiration rate typically increases as an attempt to maintain adequate oxygenation and carbon dioxide elimination. This is because emphysema is characterized by the destruction of alveolar walls leading to a decrease in the surface area available for gas exchange and increases in airway resistance. These changes cause airflow limitation and an increase in the work of breathing. People with emphysema often exhibit the "pink puffer" phenotype, where the effort to breathe is increased, especially during exertion, resulting in an increased breathing rate (tachypnea) and often the use of accessory muscles to breathe.
A respiratory infection like pneumonia can worsen this condition significantly by increasing the resistance and decreasing compliance in the lungs. This leads to further impaired gas exchange and can exacerbate the V/Q mismatch, which in turn leads to even greater increases in respiration rate in an attempt to compensate for hypoxemia. The increase in airway resistance and the effect of pneumonia on the lung compliance exacerbate the condition of a pink puffer, thus increasing the respiration rate.