Cardio And Resp Disorders

Question 1

Inspiration

Answer 1

Diaphragm contracts and moves down, thoracic cavity expands.
Intrathoracic pressure decreases, allowing air to flow into lungs.

Question 2

Resp alkalosis

Answer 2

Carbon dioxide deficit in blood. PaCO2 less than 35 mmhg. (Hypocapnia)
Causes asa toxicity, anxiety, hypoxia, fever, pain

If untreated, convulsions and arrythmia

Question 3

Respiratory center depression

causes:
Symptoms:

Answer 3

Causes: overdose, neurological damage- trauma or infarct

Symptoms: resp rate becomes shallow and slow, restless, anxious, confused, lethargic, cyanotic

Question 4

COPD

Answer 4

Air trapping in alveoli
Loss of elasticity in lung tissue
Lungs remain distended

Question 5

Increased airway resistance examples

Answer 5

Laryngeal edema- allergic reaction
Croup-child, URI that leads to laryngeal or tracheal swelling
Asthma- narrowing of airway
Sinusitis- block nasal passages
Tracheobronchitis- inflammation of trachea and bronchi, pulm secretions can block airway
OSA- collapse of soft tissue during sleep, blocking airway
Thick secretions

Question 6

Hypercapnia

Answer 6

Increased level of CO2 in blood

Question 7

Resp acidosis

Answer 7

Excess carbonic acid
High CO2 in blood PaCO2 over 45 mmhg

Can lead to resp failure

Question 8

Flail chest

Answer 8

Trauma with rib fractures in multiple places
Ribs can’t support chest wall.
Most commonly occurs from impact with steering wheel in MVA.

Question 9

Pleural effusion

Answer 9

Accumulation of fluid in pleural space of lungs

Affects lung expansion due to pressure from fluid

Question 10

Alveolar- capillary membrane

Diffusion

Answer 10

Location in lungs where diffusion of oxygen and CO2 takes place.

Diffusion is Movement of gases from high concentration to lower levels of concentration.

Question 11

Atelectasis

Answer 11

Collapse of alveoli

Can occur as complication post surgically when patient does not breathe deeply enough to move secretions out of alveoli to keep them inflated

Question 12

Ventilation/ perfusion ratio

V/Q ratio

Answer 12

When a specific amt of capillary blood flows past an alveolus and is equally matched by gas,
The V/Q ratio is considered to be normal.

Question 13

Shunting

Answer 13

Low V/Q ratio
Blood flows by alveoli, but without gas exchange.
Cause is usually obstruction of distal airways

Question 14

Dead space

Answer 14

High V/Q ratio
Not enough blood to support gas exchange.
Dead space lacking blood

Cause: pulm emboli

Question 15

Atherosclerosis causes narrowed arterial lumen which can cause:

Answer 15

Hypertension
CAD
Inflammatory heart disease
Angina pectoris
MI
AAA
Peripheral vascular disease
Gangrene

Question 16

Pulmonary embolus

Answer 16

Thrombus lodges in pulm blood vessel, impeding blood flow/ gas exchange beyond clot.
Can be blood clot or fat embolus.
Can be fatal and can lead to pulm hypertension.

Question 17

Pulmonary hypertension

Answer 17

Pulm vascular resistance is increased, resulting in decreased blood flow and oxygen.
Can be caused by pulmonary embolism or COPD
or pulmonary hypertension can be a primary condition.

Question 18

Thrombocytopenia purpura

Answer 18

Platelets are destroyed, resulting in decreasing circulating platelets and causing risk of hemorrhage

Question 19

Smaller blood vessels in women causes:

Answer 19

Cardiac caths and other invasive procedures more difficult.

Also, atherosclerotic plaques can more easily occlude smaller vessels

Question 20

Effects of aging on cardiovascular system

Answer 20

Elastin decreases and collagen increases in heart, causing decrease in contractility.
Arterial vessels in body thicken and lose elasticity which contributes to increase systolic BP.
PVD can develop as result of arterial narrowing in extremities.
Heart valves thicken due to lipid accumulation which can cause murmur.
decrease in SA node pacemaker cells cause bradycardia.

Question 21

Effects of aging on respiratory system

Answer 21

Loss of elasticity in lung recoil and chest excursion. diameter of thorax increases.
Cough strength is weakened and cilia function decreased.
Functioning alveoli decrease.

Question 22

Normal respiratory rate for infants, children, adults and elderly:

Answer 22

Infants: 35 per min
Child age 2 or younger: 25-30
Child 2-4: 23-25
Adults: 12-18
Elderly: may have slightly higher than adults

Inspiration takes about half as long as expiration.

Question 23

Pulsus paradoxus

Answer 23

Weakening of pulse during inspiration do to drop and systolic blood pressure. May occur with asthma or COPD.

Question 24

Dyspnea

Answer 24

Difficulty breathing

Question 25

Bradypnea

Answer 25

Slow deep breaths- under 10 per minute

Caused by overdose or increased intracranial pressure

Question 26

Tachypnea

Answer 26

Over 20-25 breaths per minute

URI, fever, anxiety

Question 27

Kussmaul breathing

Answer 27

Deep regular rapid resps. Caused by metabolic acidosis.
Common cause is ketoacidosis (DM)
Body is trying to decrease CO2 and decrease acidosis.

Question 28

Normal breath sounds:
Vesicular:
Bronchial:
Bronchovesicular:

Answer 28

Vesicular: all lung fields except major bronchi. Quiet, soft and low pitched.

Bronchial breath sounds: loud, high pitched. Located over trachea.

Bronchovesicular: medium pitched. Heard over 1st and 2nd intercostal spaces, close to sternal border, between scapula.

Question 29

Crackles (rales)

Answer 29

Fine, high pitched sounds on inspiration.
Indicates fluid in small airways or the collapse of small airways.
Can indicate atelectasis, pneumonia, CHF

Question 30

Rhonchi

Answer 30

Low pitched sounds on expiration.

Indicates larger airway obstructed with fluid.

COPD and pneumonia

Question 31

Wheezes

Answer 31

High pitched musical
Narrowed airways
Asthma, copd, foreign body, bronchospasm from anaphylaxis

Question 32

Pleural friction rub

Answer 32

Harsh, grating sound on inspiration or expiration

Inflamed pleura rubbing together caused by infection