Pulmonary Pathophysiology - Important Terms and Some Diseases Flashcards
what is dyspnea? what is it often described as?
- difficulty breathing
- ## often described as air hunger, breathlessness
what is orthopnea?
- difficulty breathing when laying down
what is atelectasis?
- lung tissue collapse
what is paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND)?
- when a person wakes up in the middle of the night with dyspnea
- often indicates underlying heart or pulmonary disease
what is a cough?
- regular protective response to clear airways
what is hemoptysis?
- cough up blood or secretions
what is hyperpnea? what is another name for it?
- increased tidal volume and flow rates
- kussmaul sounds
what are cheyne stokes respirations?
- they are alternations between deep and shallow breathing
what is hypocapnia?
- low carbon dioxide levels in the blood
what is cyanosis? what causes it?
- bluish discoloration in the periphery
- due to hypoxemia
what is clubbing? what is it associated with?
- swelling of the ends of the digits
- hypoxemia is associated with it
what is hypercapnia?
- increased levels of carbon dioxide in the blood
what is the difference between hypoxemia and hypoxia?
- hypoxia is low oxygen levels in the cell
- hypoxemia is low oxygen levels in the blood
what is shunting?
- when you have a V/Q mismatch
what is the alveolar dead space?
- a part in the alveoli that is well ventilated but poorly perfused
what is hypoventilation? what does it result in?
- inadequate ventilation for metabolic demands
- hypercapnea
what is hyperventilation? what does it result in?
- excessive ventilation in light of metabolic demands
- it can result in hypocapnia
what is acute respiratory failure? what is it characterized by?
- inadequate gas exchange
- characterized by PaO2 less than 60 and PaCO2 more than 50
- what are direct causes of acute respiratory failure?
- what are indirect causes of acute respiratory failure?
- direct injury to the lungs, chest or airways
- disease or injury to another body system
if acute respiratory failure is primarily hypercapnic, what is it the result of? what does the individual require?
- it is a result of inadequate ventilation which causes a V/Q mismatch and thus inadequate gas exchange
- individual requires ventilatory support
if the acute respiratory failure is primarily hypoxemic, what is it the result of? what does the individual require?
- inadequate exchange of oxygen between alveoli and capillaries
- individual requires oxygen therapy
what are the most common postoperative problems? what people are especially at risk for it?
- atelectasis, pulmonary edema, pulmonary emboli, pneumonia
- those who are obese and those who smoke
what is pneumothorax? what is it caused by?
- air or gas in the pleural space
- caused by injury to either the visceral of parietal pleura
what is a lung bleb?
like an air blister that fills the lungs
when does primary pneumothorax occur? what is it caused by? when can it occur? where are the blebs usually located? what are two possible explanations for it?
- usually occurs spontaneously in males between age 20 and 40
- caused by rupture in lung bleb
- blebs are usually located in the visceral pleural
- could be a genetic component or emphysema like changes in the lung itself
what is secondary pneumothorax caused by? what are some examples?
- caused by direct pulmonary injury or trauma
- rib fracture, blub rupture, stab wound
what is iatrogenic pneumothorax usually caused by?
- caused by transthoracic needle injection
what is the difference between open and tension pneumothorax? what type would primary and secondary be?
- open means air flows in and out
- tension means the injury becomes like a one way valve and air only flows which makes it more severe
- primary or secondary can be either or
what are the clinical manifestations of primary or secondary pneumothorax? what can a physical examination reveal?
pleural pain,
what can tension pneumothorax be complicated by?
- can be complicated by hypoxemia or hypotension
what is pleural effusion? what are the usual sources of the fluid?
- pleural effusion is fluid in the pleural cavity
- blood or lymph vessels
what are the two types of pleural effusion? what are other types characterized by and called?
- exudative = high WBC count
- transudative = watery
- empyema = pus
- chylothorax = chylo
- hemothorax = blood
- what are common clinical manifestations of larger effusions? what does a physical examination reveal?
dyspnea, pleural pain, chest compression, mediastinal shift, CV complications
what is empyema? how does it develop?
- pus in the pleural cavity
- develops when an obstruction in the lymph system causes an outpouring of contaminated lymph fluid in the pleural cavity
what age groups are most commonly affected by empyema? what is it usually a complication of?
- ## children and the elderly
what are clinical manifestations of empyema?
cyanosis, tachycardia, fever, cough, pleural pain
