Chapter 16: Respiratory Emergencies Flashcards
The buildup of excess acid in the blood or body tissues that results from a primary illness.
Acidosis
Abnormal breath sounds such as wheezing, stridor, rhonchi, and crackles.
Adventitious Breath Sounds
The buildup of excess base (lack of acids) in the body fluids.
Alkalosis
A substance that causes an allergic reaction.
Allergen
An extreme, life-threatening, systemic allergic reaction that may include shock and respiratory failure.
Anaphylaxis
An acute spasm of the smaller air passages, called bronchioles, associated with excessive mucus production and with swelling of the mucous lining of the respiratory passages.
Asthma
Collapse of the alveolar air spaces of the lungs.
Atelectasis
Normal breath sounds made by air moving through the bronchi.
Bronchial Breath Sounds
Inflammation of the bronchioles that usually occurs in children younger than 2 years and is often caused by the respiratory syncytial virus.
Bronchiolitis
An acute or chronic inflammation of the lung that may damage lung tissue; usually associated with cough and production of sputum and, depending on its cause, sometimes fever.
Bronchitis
A condition characterized by a chronically high blood level of carbon dioxide in which the respiratory center no longer responds to high blood levels of carbon dioxide.
Carbon Dioxide Retention
A lung disease characterized by chronic obstruction of lung airflow that interferes with normal breathing and is not fully reversible.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
A method of ventilation used primarily in the treatment of critically ill patients with respiratory distress; can prevent the need for endotracheal intubation.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
Crackling, rattling breath sounds signaling fluid in the air spaces of the lungs; also called rales.
Crackles
A viral inflammatory disease of the upper respiratory system that may cause a partial airway obstruction and is characterized by a barking cough; usually seen in children.
Croup
An infectious disease in which a pseudomembrane forms, lining the pharynx; this lining can severely obstruct the passage of air into the larynx.
Diphtheria
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
Dyspnea
A blood clot or other substance in the circulatory system that travels to a blood vessel where it causes a blockage.
Embolus
A disease of the lungs in which there is extreme dilation and eventual destruction of the pulmonary alveoli with poor exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide; it is one form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Emphysema
A disease in which the epiglottis becomes inflamed and enlarged and may cause an upper airway obstruction.
Epiglottitus
An allergic response usually to outdoor airborne allergens such as pollen or sometimes indoor allergens such as dust mites or pet dander; also called allergic rhinitis
Hay Fever
Rapid or deep breathing that lowers the blood carbon dioxide level below normal.
Hyperventilation
This syndrome occurs in the absence of other physical problems. The respirations of a person who is experiencing hyperventilation syndrome may be as high as 40 shallow breaths/min or as low as only 20 very deep breaths/min. Often associated with panic attacks.
Hyperventilation Syndrome
A condition in which the body’s cells and tissues do not have enough oxygen.
Hypoxia
A condition in which chronically low levels of oxygen in the blood stimulate the respiratory drive; seen in patients with chronic lung disease.
Hypoxic Drive
Virus that has crossed the animal/human barrier and has infected humans, recently reaching a pandemic level with the H1N1 strain.
Influenza Type A
A miniature spray canister used to direct medications through the mouth and into the lungs.
Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI)
Severe dyspnea experienced when lying down and relieved by sitting up.
Orthopnea
The process of delivering oxygen to the blood by diffusion from the alveoli following inhalation into the lungs.
Oxygenation
An outbreak that occurs on a global scale.
Pandemic
Severe shortness of breath, especially at night after several hours of reclining; the person is forced to sit up to breathe.
Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea
An airborne bacterial infection that affects mostly children younger than 6 years. Patients will be feverish and exhibit a “whoop” sound on inspiration after a coughing attack; highly contagious through droplet infection.
Pertussis (whooping cough)
A collection of fluid between the lung and chest wall that may compress the lung.
Pleural Effusion
An infectious disease of the lung that damages lung tissue.
Pneumonia
A partial or complete accumulation of air in the pleural space.
Pneumothorax
A buildup of fluid in the lungs, usually as a result of congestive heart failure.
Pulmonary Edema
A blood clot that breaks off from a large vein and travels to the blood vessels of the lung, causing obstruction of blood flow.
Pulmonary Embolism
The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Respiration
A virus that causes an infection of the lungs and breathing passages; can lead to other serious illnesses that affect the lungs or heart, such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Highly contagious and spread through droplets.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
Coarse breath sounds heard in patients with chronic mucus in the airways.
Rhonchi
A respiratory device that holds liquid medicine turned into mist. The patient inhales the medication into the airways and lungs as treatment for conditions like asthma.
Small-Volume Nebulizer
A harsh, high-pitched, barking inspiratory sound often heard in the acute laryngeal (upper airway) obstruction.
Stridor
A disease that can lay dormant in a person’s lungs for decades, then reactivated. Many strains are resistant to antibiotics. Spread by cough.
Tuberculosis
Exchange of air between the lungs and the environment, spontaneously by the patient or with assistance from another person, like an EMT.
Ventilation
Normal breath sounds made by air moving in and out of the alveoli.
Vesicular Breath Sounds
A high-pitched, whistling breath sound, characteristically heard on expiration in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Wheezing
An odorless, colorless, tasteless, and highly poisonous gas that results from incomplete oxidation of carbon in combustion.
Carbon Monoxide
Irritation of the major lung passageways from long-term exposure to infectious disease or irritants such as smoke.
Chronic Bronchitis
Sharp, stabbing pain in the chest that is worsened by a deep breath or other chest wall movement; often caused by inflammation or irritation of the pleura.
Pleuritic Chest Pain
COPD
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
CPAP
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
MDI
Metered Dose Inhaler
RSV
Respiratory Syncytial Virus
TB
Tuberculosis
The sudden onset of a collapsed lung without any apparent cause.
Spontaneous Pneumothorax
PASTE
An additional assessment tool for dyspnea.
Progression
Associated Chest Pain
Sputum
Talking Tiredness
Exercise Tolerance
An inherited disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs in the body.
**Cystic Fibrosis (CF)
CF
Cystic Fibrosis
