Acute Respiratory Failure Flashcards
Define Hypoxemia
an abnormally low concentration of oxygen in the blood
Define Hypoxia
Lack of oxygen to tissues
Define Hypercapnia
High levels of carbon dioxide in blood
Define Dsypnoea
Difficult or laboured breathing
Define Tachypneoea
Abnormally rapid breathing
Define stridor
A harsh, grating vibrating breath/lung sounds
Define tracheal tug
Movement of the trachea due to underlying respiratory issues
What is meant when someone is using accessory muscles?
When a patient is having such difficulty with breathing and obtaining oxygen into the lungs so the other muscles try to assist in getting air into the lungs such as abdominal muscles.
Define Tidal Volume
The amount of air that moves in and out of the lungs each respiratory cycle
Define function residual capacity
The amount of air that remains in the lungs after a passive expiration
Define Prone Positioning
face-down with their head in a neutral position without excessive flexion, extension, or rotation.
What are corticosteroid medications give examples
Steroids, or anti inflammatory drugs , cortisone , hydrocortisone, prednisone.
What is hypoxaemic respiratory failure
When the lungs can’t meet the demands of the tissues or an exchange problem eg not enough haemoglobin
What is hypercapnic respiratory failure
When there’s CO2 in the blood, lungs can’t clear the CO2 so it starts building up in circulatory system
What is acute respiratory failure?
A direct result of inadequate carbon dioxide removal oxygen collected by the haemoglobin resulting in hypoxaemia
