Final answer:
Decreased ventilatory compliance when ventilating an apneic patient means the patient has decreased lung compliance, indicating stiff lungs that are difficult to inflate, associated with conditions like fibrosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
When ventilating an apneic patient, noting decreased ventilatory compliance indicates that the patient has decreased lung compliance. Decreased lung compliance means the lungs are less elastic, suggesting that the tissue is stiff and thus requires more effort to be inflated during breathing. This condition is characteristic of restrictive diseases such as fibrosis, where the airways stiffen and may collapse upon exhalation, leading to trapped air in the lungs and making breathing more laborious.
Increased lung resistance, on the other hand, refers to obstruction within the airways, as seen in conditions like asthma or emphysema, making it harder for air to flow through. Both alterations in lung compliance and resistance affect breathing and gas exchange, potentially causing a mismatch in ventilation and perfusion (V/Q mismatch), which can adversely impact the overall gas exchange in the lungs.