Pulmonary Pathology Flashcards
What is Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)?
ARDS is sudden respiratory failure due to fluid build up in the alveoli and usually affects people who are already critically ill with a 25-40% mortality rate
survivors of ARDS may not get full respiratory function back for a year or more
How does ARDS happen?
inflammation in the lungs overloads the membrane which is suppose to keep fluid from the small blood vessels out of the alveoli which causes fluid to leak into the alveoli
What are the two classes of medication to treat asthma?
anti-inflammatory agents and bronchodilators
What is Atelactasis?
a condition in which one or more areas of the lungs collapse or do not inflate properly
What is bronchiectasis?
a progressive obstructive lung disease that produces abnormal dilation of a bronchus due to chronic infections, aspiration, cystic fibrosis, or immune system impairments
How is chronic bronchitis characterized?
a productive cough for three months over the course of two years due to inflammation of the bronchi and hypertrophy of the mucus secreting glands
What is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?
a group of lung diseases that block airflow due to narrowing of the bronchial tree with emphysema and chronic bronchitis being two of the chief illnesses
What lung volumes are typically increased with COPD patients?
increased total lung capacity and significant increase in residual volume
What is Cystic Fibrosis?
an autosomal recessive genetic disease of the exocrine glands that primarily affects the lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines, sinuses, and sex organs
this condition can cause frequent coughing, frequent lung infections, wheezing, SoB and frequent bulky stools
What is Emphysema?
gradual destruction of the alveolar walls which then turn into large, irregular pockets with gaping holes in the walls which also destroys the elastic component of bronchioles which creates dead space in the lungs and makes it difficult for patients to release air due to bronchiole collapse with exhalation
What is empyema?
when liquid in the plural space gets infected and turns into an abscess, this is usually a progression of pleural effusion
What is pulmonary edema?
What typically causes pulmonary edema?
fluid build up in the alveoli making ti difficult to breath, acute pulmonary edema is a medical emergency
commonly occurs due to left ventricle heart failure causing back up of blood in the left atrium which increases pressure in pulmonary veins and in lung blood vessels which causes fluid to leak out of the blood vessels in the lungs into the alveoli
What is a pulmonary embolism (PE)?
a condition where one or more arteries in the lungs become blocked and can be life threatening if not quickly treated with anti-clotting medications
What is Pulmonary Fibrosis?
a condition of chronic microscopic damage to the alveoli which causes scarring of the interstitial tissue which causes elastic components to scar over reducing the mobility of the lung tissue and making it harder to breath
What is Restrictive Lung Dysfunction (RLD)?
RLD is an abnormal reduction in lung expansion and pulmonary ventilation
