Pulmonary Flashcards
The space that surrounds the lungs is called the:
Pleural space
The substance that lubricates alveoli and reduces surface tension:
Surfactant
- What is elastic recoil
- What is compliance?
Elastic recoil: When lungs are able to return to resting state
Compliance: The degree to which the lung can be stretched
(decreased compliance=lungs cannot stretch easily)
Ventilation
vs.
Perfusion
Ventilation= Act of breathing
-intake oxygen, outtake oxygen
Perfusion: The equal distribution of gas that occurs during gas exchange.
What part of the alveoli does oxygen exchange occur?
-what occurs during perfusion?
Alveolar-capillary membrane
- Oxygen diffueses from alveoli to capillaries
- CO2 diffuses from capillaries to aveoli
What is oxygen saturation?
Percentage of available hemoglobin that is bound to oxygen.
What is oxy-hemoglobin dissociation/association curve?
Dissociation: Oxygen that travels to tissues
Association: Oxygen that remains in lungs (doesn’t travel to tissues)
What is paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND)?
Spontaneous inability to breath during the night.
Acute cough
vs.
Chronic cough
Acute: resolves within 2-3 weeks
Chronic: Persistent cough in people that don’t smoke
What are these abnormal breathing patterns:
Kussmaul breathing
Cheyne-stokes respirations:
- What are these caused by?
Kussmaul breathing: Hyperventilation usually caused by exercise
Cheyne-stokes respirations: Alternating periods of deep and shallow breathing (caused by decreased blood to brainstem)
What is hypercapnea:
Hypocapnea:
What breathing pattern is associated with these conditions?
Hypercapnea: Too much CO2 associated with hypoventilation
Hypocapnea: Too little CO2 associated with hyperventilation
What causes clubbing of fingers?
Low oxygen of arterial blood (tissue hypoxia) of extremities caused by lung disease
What are signs/symptoms of a pleural infection (lining of lung)?
- Pain
- Friction rub when listening with stethoscope.
Hypoxemia vs hypoxia:
Hypoxemia: Reduced oxygenation of arterial blood
Hypoxia: (ischemia) Reduced oxygenation of cells in tissues
What is shunting?
What is this usually caused by?
Person with adequate perfusion (gas exchange in alveolar capillary) without adequate ventilation (intake/outtake of oxygen)
Usually caused by disease that prevents ventilation like pneumonia
What is alveolar dead space?
What often causes this?
Person is adequately ventilating, but there is a problem with perfusion
A blood clot in the lungs
What is a flail chest?
What is it caused by?
Instability of a portion of chest wall that causes effected side of lung to not rise
Often caused by broken rips
What is a pneumothorax?
Collapsed lung caused by many deflated alveoli
What are these types of pneumothorax:
- Close pneumothorax
- Open pneumothorax
Closed pneumothorax: pneumothorax with no external trauma (intact skin)
Open pneumothorax: Pleural space is broken/penetrated but air can enter and escape pleural space
What are these types of pneumothorax:
Tension pneumothorax:
Tension pneumothorax: Broken pleural space that does not allow air to escape pleural space
What is pleural effusion?
Buildup of fluid within pleural space
What are these types of pleural effusion;
- Empyema
- Hemothorax
Empyema: Infection pleural effusion; made of pus
Hemothorax: Pleural effusion with blood
What are aspiration?
Sudden onset of choking when food/liquid travels into thorax
What is bronchiestasis?
Abnormal dilation of the bronchi
What is atelectasis?
What can this lead to?
Collapse of lung tissue from a few collapsed alveoli
(usually occurs after surgery)
- Can lead to pneumothorax
What is the main treatment for atelectsis?
Why might this cause coughing?
Encourage deep breathing:
May cause coughing if substance is in alveoli
