208 Concept: Gas exchange: topic thorax and lungs assessment Flashcards
Define gas exchange.
Gas exchange is defined as the process by which oxygen is transported to cells and carbon dioxide is transported from cells.
Scope of gas exchange.
Optimal gas exchange—–Impaired gas ——-No gas exchange
What are the population risk factors for gas exchange?
- Populations at greatest risk are infants, young children, and older adults.
- Infants are at risk because they have fetal hemoglobin.
- Infants and young children are at risk for impaired gas exchange because they have less alveolar surface area for gas exchange, as well as narrow branching of peripheral airways that are easily obstructed by mucus, edema, or foreign objects.
- Older adults are at risk for impaired gas exchange because of anatomic and physiological changes that are expected with advanced age.
What are individual risk factors for gas exchange?
- Nonmodifiable risk factors include age, air pollution, and allergies.
- Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death and disease
- Risk for aspiration is increased during an altered state of consciousness, such as from a chemical alteration (e.g., alcoholism, drug overdose, and anesthesia) or from a neurologic disorder (e.g., head injury, seizure, and stroke).
- Patients requiring tracheal intubation are at risk because of the bypassing of protective mechanisms for the alveoli.
- Bed rest and prolonged immobility reduce thoracic expansion, which can increase the risk for atelectasis and pneumonia.
- Chronic diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, COPD, or heart failure, increase risk because of mucus and fluid accumulation in the airways and alveoli. - Immunosuppression alters the body’s natural ability to fight infection, whether it is from a systemic disorder (e.g., aplastic anemia), a cancer (e.g., leukemia), or a treatment regimen (e.g., cancer chemotherapy)
What are the anterior thoracic landmarks?
- suprasternal notch
- sternum (the manubrium, the body, the xiphoid process)
- the sternal angle
- costal angle
What are the posterior thoracic landmarks?
- vertebra prominens: C7 and T1
- spinous processes
- inferior border of the scapula
- twelfth rib
What are the reference lines related to the anterior and posterior thorax?
- midsternal line
- midclavicular line
- vertebral line
- scapular line
What are the reference lines related to the lateral chest?
- anterior axillary line
- posterior axillary line
- midaxillary line
Which lung is shorter: the left of the right? And why?
The right is shorter because of the underlying liver.
Which lobes does the anterior chest contain?
- primarily upper and middle lobes
Which lobes does the posterior chest contain?
- almost all lower lobe
What aspect is unique to the right lateral chest?
Contain the right middle lobe
What mediates the involuntary control of respiration?
The pons and medulla in the brain.
True or false: The respiratory system in an infant does nor function until birth.
True. The cord is cut and blood flows to the pulmonary circulation. Foramen ovale (opening in the atrial septum) closes in the heart just after birth and the ductus arteriosus (linking the pulmonary artery and the aorta) closes several hours later.
What age group represents the single largest group of smokers?
20-24 year olds
What might fine crackles be a sign of?
- pneumonia
- heart failure
- chronic bronchitis
- asthma
- COPD
What might coarse crackles be a sign of?
- same as the fine crackles but usually more advanced disease
- pulmonary edema
- pulmonary fibrosis
What might a wheeze be a sign of?
- asthma
- COPD
- heart failure
What might rhonchi be a sign of?
- obstructed trachea
- bronchitis
- pneumonia
What might pleural friction be a sign of?
- pleurisy
- pericarditis
- pericardial effusion
What effect does the enlarging uterus have on the diaphragm?
elevates it by 4 cm during pregnancy
What percentage increase is there in tidal volume during pregnancy?
40%
What is physiologic dyspnea during pregnancy?
Affect 75% of women; increased awareness of the need to breathe
What happen to the mobility of the thorax in older adults and why?
The costal cartilages become calcified and this reduces the mobility of the thorax.