Exam 1: Respiratory Alterations Flashcards
What are the differences in the anatomy and physiology of the infants’ respiratory system that increases the risk for respiratory disease?
- Neonate’s airway is 50% smaller than adults
- Infants are obligatory nose breathers
- Brief periods of apnea are common
- Irregular respiratory rate
- Increased metabolic rate increases oxygen needs
- Eustachian tubes are relatively horizontal, increases the risk for bacteria entering the middle ear.
Otitis Media
Fluid and infection or blockage of middle ear
What precipitates Otitis Media?
Allergies
Incidence of Otitis Media
- Peak age: 6 months to 6 years (most before the age of 2)**
- Highest in the winter and spring
What are risk factors for Otitis Media?
- Attending day care centers
- Cigarette smoke exposure
- Allergic rhinitis
- Bottle propping (d/t reflux of formula into eustachian tube from nasopharynx)
Clinical Manifestations of Otitis Media
- Otalgia (earache
- Tympanic membrane is bulging, opaque, red, diffuse light reflex, decreased mobility and obscured landmarks.
How is otitis media diagnosed?
- History of signs and symptoms
- Pneumatic otoscopy
Treatment/Management of Otitis Media
- 80% demonstrate spontaneous resolution
- Relieve pain: Acetaminophen
- ABT: amoxicillin; if allergy or resistance, azithromycin or second or third generation cephalosporin.
- Possible tympanostomy tube placement if recurrent ear infection.
Symptomatic Treatment of Otitis Media occurs when?
-Done for 48-72 hours for >6 months
If Otitis Media is recurrent, what needs to be done?
Monitor for hearing, language and learning problems
Acute Otitis Media
Effusion and inflammation of the middle ear space that occurs suddenly and is associated with other signs of illness.
Otitis Media with Effusion
Presence of fluid behind tympanic membrane without signs of infection.
Causes of Otitis Media include
- S. Pneumoniae
- H. Influenzae
- M. Catarrhalis
Functions of Eustachian Tube
- Ventilates the middle ear by opening and closing regularly which equalizes pressure & permits middle ear drainage
- Protects middle ear from nasopharyngeal secretions & sound pressure
Why do episodes of otitis media usually occur at about 6 months?
Because this is when maternal antibody levels decline.
The younger the child is, the more they are predisposed to OM because of
Horizontal Eustachian tubes
Early onset of acute otitis media can increase the risk for
Recurrent episodes
Pathophysiology of Otitis Media
- Obstruction of ET -> inadequate drainage and ventilation of the middle ear.
- Effusion accumulates in middle ear creating growth medium for bacteria: after upper respiratory tract infection, pathogens travel from nasopharynx to ET.
- Crying, yawning or sucking can cause negative pressure -> drawing mucus through the ET -> accumulation of purulent fluid in middle ear -> pressure and pain.
Otalgia (earache) discomfort is expressed through
- Pulling/holding their ears
- Rolling their head from side to side
- Young children usually verbalize pain
Tympanic membrane in Otitis Media With Effusion
- Retracted
- Dull gray or yellow
- Air fluid level or air bubbles visible
- Decreased mobility and distorted land marks
When are antibiotics given to children with otitis media?
- After 72 hours if the child is > than 6 months of age and the infection hasn’t resolved on its own.
- If younger than 6 months, treated immediately d/t their immature immune system and risk for ear infection.
Tympanostomy Tube Placement
Pressure equalizing tubes
For patients with otitis media, DO NOT USE
Steroids, antihistamines, decongestants and antibiotic ear drops
Myringotomy
Surgical incision of eardrum to alleviate severe pain of AOM, to drain middle ear in presence of complications, or for purulent fluid to drain for culture specimen.
Functional Complications of Otitis Media:
- Hearing loss -> mainly conductive and mild in severity
- Tympanosclerosis (eardrum scarring)
- Adhesive OM (glue ear)
- Cholesteatoma
What causes complications from otitis media?
-Negative middle ear pressure
-Effusion in the middle ear
-Structural damage to the tympanic membrane
Fear consequence of development with speech, language and cognition..
Continue negative middle ear pressure
Draws the tympanic membrane inward -> resulting in impaired sound transmission, perforation of thinned-out areas, or infection in the pockets and later cholesteatoma.
Tympanosclerosis
Eardrum scarring due to inflammation of the middle ear
Eardrum perforation is due to
AOC and Chronic disease -> surgery may be required to close
Adhesive OM (glue ear)
Thickening of mucous membrane by proliferation of fibrous tissue that can cause fixation of the ossicles with a resultant hearing loss.
Cholesteatoma
- Least common, but most dangerous sequela of OME.
- As it enlarges, it erodes all structures it encounters, especially bone, destroying the ossicles and gaining entry into the inner ear and meninges.
Cholesteatoma Signs and Symptoms
- Foul smelling, grayish yellow discharge
- Sometimes pain
- Permanent progressive hearing loss.
Treatment for Cholesteatoma
Surgical excision of entire cholesteatoma
Prevention of Otitis Media
Reduce Risk Factors:
- Breast feed infant for the first 6 months of life
- Avoid propping bottle
- Decrease or discontinue pacifier use after 6 months
- Prevent exposure to tobacco smoke
Vaccination: pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
Prognosis for Otitis Media
- Most cases of OM resolve eventually; conductive hearing loss is common
- Sensorineural may be present with severe/chronic recurrent OM
- The longer the fluid is present, the greater the sensorineural hearing loss is.
What facilitates drainage of ear in patients with otitis media?
Local heat over the ear while the child lies on the affected side
Nursing Care for Ear Drainage
- External canal may be cleansed with sterile cotton swabs or pledgers coupled with topical ABT
- Ear wicks/gauze placed in ear after surgical procedure: loose enough to allow accumulated drainage to flow out of the ear, if not, infection can transfer to mastoid process.
Anticipatory guidance about hearing loss
- Speak louder at a closer proximity while facing the child
- Seat child closer to the front of the class
Anticipate behavioral changes in children with otitis media
- Inattentiveness or lack of awareness to environmental sounds
- Requests for repetition in conversation, mishearing of content
- Softer/louder voice than usual
- Poor attention span and fidgety behavior when a group listening situation
- Aggressiveness and low frustration tolerance because of frequent communication breakdowns
- Impaired speech and language skills
Tympanostomy teaching
- Keep bathwater and shampoo out of ear
- Make parents aware of appearance of grommet (tiny, white, plastic spool-shaped tube) so they recognize if it falls out → they are usually colored as well, know color
Forceful blowing of nose during upper respiratory tract infection is discourage to avoid what?
Organisms ascending through Eustachian tube.
Pharyngitis
- Inflammation of pharynx and surround lymphoid tissue.
- Can be viral or bacterial.
- Self-limiting and relatively minor
Pharyngitis: Streptococcal Infections can have serious complications including
- Rheumatic Fever
- Acute Glomerulonephritis
What are viral causes of pharyngitis?
RACE
- RSV
- Adenovirus
- Coronavirus
- Enterovirus
What are bacterial causes of pharyngitis?
Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS)
Tonsillitis
- Inflammation and infection of two palatine tonsils.
- Can be viral or bacterial; (GABHS) most common
Pathophysiology of Pharyngitis
- Often accompanies a cold and tonsillitis is usually present with pharyngitis.
- Infection and inflammation -> enlarged tonsils -> difficulty swallowing and breathing.
- Enlarged adenoids -> obstruction of ET -> otitis media and hearing impairment
- Hypertrophy of adenoids -> blocked passageway between nose & throat -> mouth breathing or obstructive sleep apnea.
Incidence for Pharyngitis and Tonsilitis
- Incidence peaks between 4-7 y/o
- GABHS occurs more in the winter
Clinical Manifestations of Pharyngitis and Tonsilitis
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Enlarged tonsils: bright red, may be covered with exudate or cryptic plugs; Adenoids (pharyngeal tonsils)
- Difficulty swallowing
- Mouth breathing
- Unpleasant mouth odor
Evaluation for Pharyngitis and Tonsilitis includes
- Rapid Strep Test -> swab tonsils
2. Throat Culture
Rapid Strep Test
Rapid streptococcal antigen tests -> 20% false negatives
Throat Culture
- Done at the same time
- If the strep test comes back negative, make sure to send a culture to confirm the negative test.
If there is a history of multiple strep throat,
- Make sure chart as history of strep and how many times
- If multiple strep throats -> could lead to mitral stenosis -> heart issues can occur later on in life.
Symptomatic Treatment of Pharyngitis and Tonsilitis
- Pain relief (acetaminophen or ibuprofen if older than 6 months)
- Provide clear, cool liquids
- Rest
- Warm salt water gargles
- Warm or cool compresses to neck
- DO NOT force to eat
- Tonsillectomy in severe cases
If positive strep test:
- Give ABT; amoxicillin (1st choice)
- 2nd choice: erythromycin or cephalosporin
- 3rd choice: PCN G IM
Tonsillectomy
- In severe cases, if kissing tonsils and they won’t go down then you will remove tonsils.
- Not performed in children under 3 yo
Contraindications for Tonsillectomy
- Active infection
- Cleft palate
Preoperative Interventions for Tonsillectomy: Assessment
- Signs of active infection, bleeding & clotting studies (throat is vascular)
- Loose teeth (decrease risk of aspiration during surgery)
Nursing Interventions for Patients with Pharyngitis and Tonsillitis
- Prone or side-lying position → side laying is always better to facilitate drainage
- If child vomiting → NPO for 30 minutes and then resume clear liquids
- Ice for comfort
- Provide clear liquids
What should be avoided in patients that have undergone a tonsillectomy?
- Avoid red foods/drinks, milk products
- No straws, forks or hard pointy foods (ex. Chips) to prevent trauma
Tonsillectomy: Monitor for
- Excessive swallowing
- Increased pulse
- Signs of bleeding
Manifestations of bleeding include
- Frequent swallowing,
- Upset stomach
- Clearing of the throat
- Elevated pulse
- Decrease BP
- Vomit bright red blood, restlessness not associated with pain
Epiglotitis
- Acute inflammation and swelling of epiglottis and surrounding tissue -> pretty far back in the throat.
- Life threatening -> rapidly progressive condition.
Incidence of Epiglotitis
- Occurs most often 3-7 years old
- Decreased incidence -> Hib vaccine
What causes epiglottitis?
H. Influenza
Clinical Manifestations of Epiglottitis
- Abrupt onset of symptoms: child will go to bed asymptomatic and awaken with sore throat/pain on swallowing.
- Drooling
- Upright, tripod position
- Sore throat
- High fever (102-104)
- Difficulty swallowing/talking
- Chin thrust out and mouth open
- Epiglottis is edematous and cherry-red
- Can rapidly progress to severe respiratory distress
What are 3 observations that are predictive of epiglottis?
- Absence of spontaneous cough
- Presence of drooling
- Agitation
- Voice is thick and muffled with a frog like croaking sound on inspiration.
How is epiglottitis diagnosed?
- Most reliable is the visualization of the epiglottis
- Edematous, cherry-red
- WBC usually elevated
- Signs and symptoms