Chpt. 60 Fetal Thorax Flashcards
What is the single most important determinant for fetal viability?
Adequacy of pulmonary development
What is the major reason why fetuses younger than 24 weeks of gestation are generally considered nonviable?
Pulmonary immaturity
Breathing movements that occur before birth results in ?
The aspiration of fluid into the lungs
Name the three routes that fluid in the lungs (at birth) are cleared by?
1) through the mouth and nose
2) into the pulmonary copillaries
3) into the lymphatic’s and pulmonary vessels
The fetal thorax is examined in what planes?
transverse and coronal or parasagittal plane
what is the normal shape of the thoracic cavity?
symmetrically bell shaped, with the ribs forming the lateral margins, the clavicles forming the upper margins, and the diaphragm forming the lower margin
The lungs serve as lateral border for ? and lie superior to ?
heart and diaphragm
How much fluid is in the lungs at birth?
They are half full
describe the diaphragm sonographically
echogenic smooth hypoechoic muscular margin between the fetal liver or spleen and the lungs
Which is normally slightly smaller? thorax or abdominal cavity
thorax
where are the chest circumference measurements made from?
transverse plane at the level of the four chamber view of the heart
A fetus with a significant narrow diameter of the chest may have?
asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy
What syndrom is associated with asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy?
Thanatophoric dwarfism
The central portion of the thorax is occupied by the _________.
mediastinum
Majority of the heart is positioned in the ?
midline and left chest
How should the apex of the heart be directed?
toward the left chest wall at an axis that is 45 degrees from midline
The heart occupies _______ of the chest?
1/3
What direction does the base of the heart lie to the diaphragm?
Horizontal
why is the location of the heart important to document?
as detection of abnormal heart position may indicate the presence of a chest mass, pleural effusion, or cardiac malformation
How do the fetal lungs appear sonographically?
homogenous with moderate echogenicity
In early gestation, the lungs are similar to or slightly _____ echogenic than the liver?
less
As gestation progresses, there is a trend toward increased pulmonary echogencicty relative to ?
liver
When is fetal breathing movements considered absent?
if no such fetal activity is noted during a 20 minute observation period
what is used to detect fetal breathing through the nostrils?
Color flow doppler
when does fetal breathing become more prominent?
2nd and 3rd trimesters
The mature fetus spends how much time breathing?
almost 1/3
when are fetal breathing movements documented?
when seesaw movements of the fetal chest or abdomen are sustained for 20 seconds
What should you evaluate when looking at a fetus for a lung mass?
1) postion of the heart
2) orientation of the cardiac axis
3) Measurement of the thoracic circumference
What should you look for when the heart position and axis vary from the normal position?
any abnormality that may be the cause of such displacement