Assessing breath sounds Flashcards
Wheezing: sounds:
- high-pitched, musical, whistling sound
- best heard initially on exhalation
Wheezing is an indication of:
swelling & constriction of the inner lining of the bronchioles
Wheezing is usually heard in what conditions?
Asthma, emphysema, & chronic bronchitis.
May also be heard in pneumonia & CHF
Rhonchi: sounds:
- snoring or rattling
Rhonchi is an indication of:
obstruction of the larger conducting airways of the respiratory tract by thick secretions of mucous
Rhonchi often heard in what conditions?
Chronic bronchitis, emphysema, aspiration, & pneumonia.
One characteristic of rhonchi:
the quality of sound changes if the person coughs or sometimes even when the person changes position.
Crackles (rales): sound:
- bubbly or crackling
- heard during inhalation
What causes the sound of Crackles?
fluid that has surrounded or filled the alveoli or very small bronchioles.
Crackles often heard in what conditions?
pulmonary edema & pneumonia
Decreased oxygen in the bloodstream typically defined as an SpO2 of <94%
hypoxemia
Shortness of breath
dyspnea
complete respiratory arrest (no longer breathing)
apnea
a reduced oxygen delivery to the tissues
hypoxia
a drug that relaxes the smooth muscle of the bronchi and bronchioles and reverses bronchoconstriction
Bronchodilator (Beta2)
Flail chest
two or more adjacent ribs fractured in two or more places
an inadequate amount of oxygen-rich air entering the alveoli and passing across the alveolar membrane to the capillary
a ventilation disturbance
an inadequate amount of blood traveling through the pulmonary capillaries
a perfusion disturbance
leading to hypoxemia (decreased oxygen levels in the blood) & hypercarbia (increased carbon dioxide levels in the blood)
both a ventilation & perfusion disturbance in the lungs
A patient who is having difficulty breathing but has an adequate tidal volume (chest rise) & respiratory rate is said to be in
respiratory distress
If either the tidal volume or the respiratory rate becomes inadequate, the patient’s respiratory status becomes inadequate
respiratory failure
when the patient’s breathing effort ceases completely. Leads to cardiac arrest in minutes
respiratory arrest
Respiratory failure and respiratory arrest are treated with
positive pressure ventilation and supplemental oxygen
increased carbon dioxide levels in the blood
hypercarbia
Oxygen treatment for a pt.. with minor signs of respiratory distress:
nasal cannula at 2-4 lpm
Oxygen treatment for a pt. with moderate to severe signs of respiratory distress:
continuous positive pressure ventilation (CPAP)
Oxygen treatment for a pt. with severely decreased SpO2 & severe hypoxia:
higher concentrations of oxygen delivered by a nonrebreather mask at 15 lpm
Oxygen treatment for a pt. in respiratory failure is
begin ventilation with a bag-valve-mask device or other ventilation device with supplemental oxygen
Oxygen treatment for a pt. in respiratory arrest is
begin ventilation with a bag-valve-mask device or other ventilation device with supplemental oxygen
Is wheezig an upper or lower airway sound?
Lower
