Module 2 (15-18) Flashcards
acidosis
the buildup of excess acid in the blood or body tissues that results from a primary illness
adventitious breath sounds
abnormal breath sounds such as wheezing, stridor, rhonchi, and crackles
alkalosis
the buildup of excess base (lack of acids) in the body fluids
allergen
a substance that causes an allergic reaction
anaphylaxis (anaphylactic shock)
an extreme life-threatening, systemic allergic reaction that may include shock and respiratory failure.
asthma
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.
atelectasis
collapse of the alveolar air spaces of the lungs
bronchial breath sounds
normal breath sounds made by air moving through the bronchi
bronchiolitis
inflammation of the bronchioles that usually occurs in children younger than 2 years and is often caused by the respiratory syncytial virus
bronchitis
an acute of chronic inflammation of the lung that may damage lung tissue; usually associated with cough and production of sputum and, depending on the cause, sometimes fever
carbon dioxide retention
a condition characterized by a chronically high level of carbon dioxide in which the respiratory center no longer responds to high blood levels of carbon dioxide
chronic bronchitis
irritation of the major lung passageways from infectious disease or irritants such as smoke
COPD
a slow process of dilation and disruption of the airways and alveoli caused by chronic bronchial obstruction
CPAP
a method of ventilation used primarily in the treatment of critically ill patients with respiratory distress; can prevent the need to endotracheal intubation
crackles
crackling, rattling breath sounds signaling fluid in the air spaces of the lungs; formally called rales
croup
an 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.
diphtheria
an infectious disease in which a membrane forms, lining the pharynx; this lining can severely obstruct the passage of air into the larynx
dyspnea
shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
embolus
a blood clot or other substance in the circulatory system that travels to a blood vessel where it causes a blockage
emphysema
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 COPD
epiglottitis
a disease in which the epiglottis becomes inflamed and enlarged and may cause an upper airway infection
hay fever
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
hyperventilation
rapid or deep breathing that lowers the blood carbon dioxide level below normal
hyperventilation syndrome (panic attack)
this syndrome occurs in the absence of other physical problems. the respiration of a person who is experiencing hyperventilation syndrome may be as high as 40 shallow breaths/min or as low as 20 very deep breaths/min
hypoxia
a condition in which the body’s cells and tissues do not have enough oxygen
hypoxic drive
a condition in which chronically low levels of oxygen in the blood stimulate the respiratory drive; seen in patients with chronic lung disease
influenza type A
a virus that has crossed the animal/human barrier and has infected humans, recently reaching a pandemic level with the H1N1 strain
MDI
a miniature spray canister used to direct medications through the mouth and into the lungs
orthopnea
severe dyspnea experienced when lying down and relieved into the lungs
oxygenation
the process of delivering oxygen to the blood
pandemic
an outbreak that occurs on a global scale
paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
severe shortness of breath, especially at night after several hours of reclining; the person is forced to sit up to breathe
pertussis (whooping cough)
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
pleural effusion
a collection of fluid between the lung and chest wall that may compress the lung
pleuritic chest pain
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
pneumonia
an infectious disease of the lung that damages lung tissue
pneumothorax
a partial or complete accumulation of air in the pleural space
pulmonary edema
a buildup of fluid in the lungs, usually as a result of congestive heart failure
pulmonary embolism
a blood clot that breaks off from a large vein and travels to the blood vessels of the lung, causing obstruction of blood flow
respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
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. RSV is highly contagious and spread through droplets
rhonchi
course breath sounds heard in patients which chronic mucus in the airways
small-volume nebulizer
a respiratory device that holds liquid medicine that is turned into a fine mist. The patient inhales the medication into the airways and lungs as a treatment for conditions such as asthma
stridor
a harsh, high-pitched, barking inspiratory sound often heard in acute laryngeal (upper airway) obstruction
TB
a disease that can lay dormant in a person’s lungs for decades, then reactivate; many strains are resistant to antibiotics. TB is spread by cough
vesicular breath sounds
normal breath sounds made by air moving in and out of the alveoli
wheezing
a high-pitched, whistling breath sound, characteristically heard on expiration in patients with asthma or COPD
acute coronary syndrome
a group of symptoms caused by myocardial ischemia; includes angina and myocardial infarction
acute myocardial infarction (AMI)
a heart attack; death of heart muscle following obstruction of blood flow to it. Acute in this context means ‘new’ or ‘happening right now’
angina pectoris
transient (short-lived) chest discomfort caused by partial or temporary blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle; also called angina
anterior
the front surface of the body; the side facing you in the standard anatomic position
aorta
the main artery, which receives blood from the left ventricle and delivers it to all the other body arteries that carry blood to the tissues of the body
aortic aneurysm
a weakness in the wall of the aorta that makes it susceptible to rupture
aortic valve
the one-way valve that lies between the left ventricle and the aorta and keeps blood from flowing back into the left ventricle after the left ventricle ejects its blood into the aorta; one of the four heart valves
artifact
a tracing on an ECG that is the result of interference, such as patient movement, rather than the hearts electrical activity
asystole
the complete absence of all heart electrical activity
atherosclerosis
a disorder in which cholesterol and calcium build up inside the walls of the blood vessels, eventually leading to partial or complete blockage of blood flow
atrium
one of the two upper chambers of the heart. the right atrium receives blood from the vena cava and delivers it to the right ventricle. the left atrium receives blood from pulmonary veins and delivers it to the left ventricle.
automaticity
the ability of cardiac muscle cells to contract without stimulation from the nervous system
automatic nervous system
the part of the nervous system that controls the involuntary activities of the body such as the heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion of food.
bradycardia
a slow heart rate, less than 60 beats/min
cardiac arrest
when the heart fails to generate effective and detectable blood flow; pulses are not palpable in cardiac arrest, even if muscular and electrical activity continues in the heart.
cardiac output
a measure of the volume of blood circulated by the heart in 1 minute, calculated by multiplying the stroke volume by the heart rate
cardiogenic shock
a state in which not enough oxygen is delivered to the tissues of the body, caused by low output of blood from the heart. it can be a severe complication of a large acute myocardial infarction, as well as other conditions
CHF
a disorder in which the heart loses part of its ability to effectively pump blood, usually as a result of damage to the heart muscle and usually resulting in a backup of fluid into the lungs
coronary arteries
the blood vessels that carry blood and nutrients to the heart muscle
defibrillate
to shock a fibrillating (chaotically beating) heart with specialized electric current in an attempt to restore a normal rhythmic heartbeat
dependent edema
swelling in the part of the body closest to the ground, caused by collection of fluid in the tissues; a possible sign of CHF
dilation
widening of a tubular structure such as a coronary artery
dissecting aneurysm
a condition in which the inner layers of an artery, such as the aorta, become separated, allowing blood (at high pressure) to flow between the layers
dysrhythmia
an irregular or abnormal heart rhythm
hypertensive emergency
an emergency situation created by excessively high blood pressure, which can lead to serious complications such as stroke or aneurysm
infarction
death of a body tissue, usually caused by interruption of its blood supply
inferior
the part of the body or any body part nearer to the feet
ischemia
a lack of oxygen that deprives tissues of necessary nutrients, resulting from partial or complete blockage of blood flow; potentially reversible because permanent injury has not yet occurred.
lumen
the inside diameter of an artery or other hollow structure
myocardium
the heart muscle
occlusion
a blockage, usually of a tubular structure such as a blood vessel
parasympathetic nervous system
the part of the automatic nervous system that controls vegetative functions such as digestion of food and relaxation
perfusion
the flow of blood through body tissues and vessels
posterior
the back surface of the body; the side away from you in the standard anatomic position
return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)
the return of a pulse and effective blood flow to the body in a patient who previously was in cardiac arrest
stroke volume
the volume of blood ejected with each ventricular contraction
superior
the part of the body or any body part nearer the head
sympathetic nervous system
the part of the automatic nervous system that controls active functions such as responding to fear
syncope
a fainting spell
tachycardia
a rapid heart rate, more than 100 beats/min
thromboembolism
a blood clot that has formed within a blood vessel and is floating within the bloodstream
ventricle
one of two lower chambers of the heart. the left ventricle receives blood from the left atrium and delivers blood to the aorta. the right ventricle receives blood from the right atrium and pumps it into the pulmonary artery.
ventricular fibrillation
disorganized, ineffective quivering of the ventricles, resulting in no blood flow and a state of cardiac arrest
ventricular tachycardia
a rapid heart rhythm in which the electrical impulse begins in the ventricle (instead of the atrium), which may result in inadequate blood flow and eventually deteriorated into cardiac arrest
altered mental status
any deviation from alert and oriented to person, place, time, and event, or any deviation from a patient’s normal baseline mental status
aneurysm
a swelling or enlargement of the wall of a blood vessel that results from weakening of the vessel wall
aphasia
the inability to understand and/or produce speach
atherosclerosis
a disorder in which calcium and cholesterol build up inside the walls of the blood vessels, forming plaque, potentially leading to a partial or complete blockage of blood flow
aura
a sensation experienced before a seizure; serves as a warning sign that a seizure is about the occur
cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
an interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called a stroke
coma
a state of profound unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be roused
delirium
a temporary change in mental status characterized by disorganized thoughts, inattention, memory loss, disorientation, striking changes in personality and affect, halluciantions, delusions, or a decreased level of consciousness
dysrhythmia
slurred speech
epilepsy
a disorder in which abnormal electrical discharges occur in the brain, causing seizure and possible loss of consciousness
febrile seizures
seizures that result from sudden high fevers, most often seen in children
generalized (tonic-clonic) seizure
a seizure characterized by severe twitching of all of the body’s muscles that may last several minutes or more; formerly known as a grand mal seizure
hemiparesis
weakness on one side of the body
hemorrhagic stroke
a type of stroke that occurs as a result of bleeding inside the brain
hypoglycemia
an abnormally low blood glucose level
ischemic stroke
a type of stroke that occurs when blood flow to a particular part of the brain is cut off by a blockage inside a blood vessel
partial (focal) seizure
a seizure affecting a limited portion of the brain
postictal state
the period following a seizure that lasts 5-30 minutes; characterized by labored respirations and some degree of altered mental status.
seizure
a neurologic episode caused by a surge of electrical activity in the brain; can be a convulsion characterized by generalized, uncoordinated muscular activity, and can be associated with loss of consciousness
status epilepticus
a condition in which seizures recur every few minutes or last longer than 30 minutes
stroke
an interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called a cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
thrombosis
a blood clot, either in the arterial or venous system. When the clot occurs in a cerebral artery, it may result in the interruption of cerebral blood flow and subsequent stroke
transient ischemic attack (TIA)
a disorder of the brain in which brain cells temporarily stop functioning because of insufficient oxygen, causing stroke-like symptoms that resolve completely within 24 hours of onset
acute abdomen
a condition of sudden onset of pain within the abdomen, usually indicating peritonitis; immediate medical or surgical treatment is necessary
cholecystitis
inflammation of the gallbadder
cystitis
inflammation of the bladder
diverticulitis
inflammation in small pockets of weak areas of in the muscle walls
emesis
vomiting
GERD
a condition in which the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach opens, allowing stomach acid to move up into the esophagus, usually resulting in a burning sensation within the chest; also called acid reflux
guarding
involuntary muscle contractions (spasms) of the abdominal wall; an effort to protect the inflamed abdomen
hematemesis
vomiting blood
hernia
the protrusion of an organ or tissue through an abnormal body opening
ileus
paralysis of the bowel, arising from any one of several causes; stops contractions that move material through the intestine
kidney stones
solid crystalline masses formed in the kidney, resulting from an excess of insoluble salts or uric acid crystallizing in the urine; may become trapped anywhere along the urinary tract
melena
black tarry stool containing digested blood
pancreatitis
inflammation of the pancreas
peritoneum
the membrane lining the abdominal cavity (parietal peritoneum) and covering the abdominal organs (visceral perioneum)
peritonitis
inflammation of the peritoneum
referred pain
pain felt in an area of the body other than the area where the cause of pain is located
strangulation
complete obstruction of blood circulation in a given organ as a result of compression or entrapment; an emergency situation causing death of tissue
uremia
severe kidney failure resulting in the buildup of waste products within the blood. Eventually brain functions will be impaired
