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ANKI Respiratory > [5] Atelectasis > Flashcards

[5] Atelectasis Flashcards

1
Q

What is atelectasis?

A

Complete or partial collapse of a lung, or a lobe of a lung

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2
Q

Is atelectasis unilateral or bilateral?

A

Usually unilateral

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3
Q

What happens to the alveoli in atelectasis?

A

They deflate down to little or no volume

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4
Q

Where is atelectasis a common respiratory complication?

A

Common respiratory complication of surgery, however also a possible complication of other respiratory conditions

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5
Q

What are the risk factors for atelectasis?

A
  • Age
  • Any condition that interferes with spontaneous coughing, yawning, and sighing
  • Immobility, e.g. bed rest
  • Impaired swallowing function
  • Lung disease
  • Premature birth
  • Recent abdominal or chest surgery
  • Recent general anaesthesia
  • Respiratory muscle weakness
  • Any cause of shallow breathing
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6
Q

What age group is at increased risk of atelectasis?

A

Younger than 3 or older than 60

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7
Q

Give 4 examples of lung diseases that increase the risk of atelectasis

A
  • COPD
  • Asthma
  • Bronchiectasis
  • CF
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8
Q

What might cause respiratory muscle weakness?

A
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Another neuromusclar condition
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9
Q

What might cause shallow breathing?

A
  • Medications
  • Mechanical limitations, e.g. abdominal pain, rib fracture
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10
Q

What causes atelectasis?

A

Can be the result of a blocked airway (obstructice) or pressure from outside (non-obstructive)

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11
Q

How common is atelectasis after surgery?

A

Almost everyone who has surgery has some atelectasis

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12
Q

Why is atlectasis so common after surgery?

A

Because it changes the regular pattern of breathing and the absorption of gases and presures, which may combine to cause some degree of alveolar collapse

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13
Q

Following which surgery is atelectasis particularly prominent?

A

Heart bypass surgery

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14
Q

What are the obstructive causes of atelectasis?

A
  • Mucus plug
  • Foreign body
  • Narrowing of major airways from disease
  • Tumour in major airway
  • Blood clot
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15
Q

What is a mucus plug?

A

Accumulation of mucus in the airway

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16
Q

When do atelectasis commonly occur?

A

During and aftery surgery

17
Q

Why does atelectasis commonly occur during and after surgery?

A
  • Inability to cough
    • Drugs given during surgery make the lungs inflate less than normal, so normal secretions collect in the airways
18
Q

What can help reduce the chance of the formation of a mucus plug during surgery?

A

Sunctioning during surgery, however they may continue to build up afterwards

19
Q

What conditions are mucus plugs common in?

A
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Severe asthma attacks
20
Q

What diseases might cause narrowing of the major airways?

A

Chronic infections, such as fungal infections and TB causing scarring

21
Q

When can a blood clot cause atelectasis?

A

Only if there is significant bleeding into the lungs that can’t be coughed out

22
Q

What are the non-obstructive causes of atelectasis?

A
  • Chest trauma
  • Pleural effusion
  • Pneumonia
  • Pneumothorax
  • Scarring of lung tissue
  • Tumour
23
Q

How can chest trauma cause non-obstructive atelectasis?

A

It can cause the patient to avoid taking deep breaths, and so causes compression of the lungs

24
Q

What can cause scarring of the lung tissue?

A
  • Injury
  • Lung disease
  • Surgery
25
Q

How can a tumour cause non-obstructive atelectasis?

A

A large tumour can press against and deflate the lung

26
Q

What are the symptoms of atelectasis?

A

There may be no obvious signs or symptoms. If present, they may include;

  • Dyspnoea
  • Rapid, shallow breathing
  • Coughing
27
Q

How is atelectasis investigated?

A
  • CXR
  • Chest CT or bronchoscopy may be necessary if cause is not clinically apparent
28
Q

What might the CXR show in atlectasis?

A
  • Lung opacification
  • Loss of lung volume
29
Q

What is the treatment of atelectasis directed at?

A

Correcting the underlying cause

30
Q

How might atelectasis caused by infection be treated?

A

Antibiotics

31
Q

How might atelectasis caused by a foreign body be treated?

A

Removal by coughing, sunctioning, or broncoscopy

32
Q

How is post-surgical atelectasis treated?

A

Physiotherapy

33
Q

What is involved in physiotherapy for the treatment of post-surgical acelectasis?

A
  • Focusing on deep breathing
  • Encouraging coughing
  • Walking
34
Q

How is walking beneficial in atelectasis?

A

It improves lung inflation

35
Q

What might people with chest deformities or neurological conditions that cause shallow breathing for long periods of time benefit from in atelectasis?

A

Mechanical devices that assist breathing

36
Q

How can atelectasis be managed surgically?

A

In some cases, the affected part of the lung can be removed

ANKI Respiratory (17 decks)

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