pulmonology vocabulary Flashcards
acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
also called adult respiratory distress syndrome
acute respiratory failure in adults characterized by tachypnea, dyspnea, cyanosis, tachycardia, and hypoxia
aerosol therapy
aer/o = air
medication suspended in a mist so that it may be inhaled; often delivered by a nebulizer or metered-dose inhaler
antitussive
anti- = against
tuss/o = cough
medication to relieve the urge to cough
arterial blood gases (ABGs)
arteri/o= artery
-al = pertaining to
laboratory test for levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide present in the blood
asphyxia, asphyxiation
also called suffocation
lack of oxygen that can lead to unconsciousness and death if not corrected immediately; some common causes are drowning, foreign body in the respiratory tract, poisoning, and electric shock
aspirate
inhaling fluid or a foreign object in airways
asthma
disease caused by various conditions (such as allergies), resulting in bronchospasm, excessive mucus production, inflammation, airway constriction, wheezing, and coughing
atelectasis
atel/o = incomplete
-ectasis = dilated
condition in which lung tissue collapses, preventing respiratory exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
bronchodilator
bronch/o = bronchus
medication that causes bronchi to dilate
bronchogenic carcinoma bronch/o = broncus -genic = producing carcin/o = cancer -oma = tumor, mass
malignant lung tumor that originates in the bronchi; often associated with a history of cigarette smoking
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) cardi/o = heart pulmon/o = lung -ary = pertaining to
combination of external compressions to the sternum and rescue breathing to maintain blood flow and air movement in and out of the lungs during cardiac and respiratory arrest
chest x-ray (CXR)
taking a radiographic image of the heart and lungs; may be an anterior view, posterior view, or lateral view
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
also called chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD)
pulmon/o = lung
-ary = pertaining to
progressive, chronic, and usually irreversible condition in which airflow to and from the lungs is decreased; the patient can have severe dyspnea with exertion and cough
continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
machine that supplies constant and steady air pressure through a mask; keeps airways continuously open; common treatment for sleep apnea
crackles
abnormal rattling or crackling sound made during inhalation; caused by mucus or fluid in the airways; also called rales
croup
acute viral infection in infants and children; symptoms include dyspnea and a characteristic barking cough
cystic fibrosis (CF) fibr/o = fibrous -osis = abnormal condition
genetic condition that causes a patient to produce very thick mucus resulting in severe congestion within the lungs and digestive system
emphysema
pulmonary condition resulting from destruction of alveolar walls leading to overinflated alveoli; can occur as a result of long-term heavy smoking or exposure to air pollution; characterized by dyspnea on exertion
endotracheal (ET) intubation
endo- = within
trache/o = trachea
-al = pertaining to
placing a tube through the mouth and into the trachea to maintain an open airway and facilitate artificial ventilation
expectorant
ex- = outward
medication that improves the ability to cough up mucus from the respiratory tract
Heimlich maneuver
technique for removing a foreign body from the trachea or pharynx by exerting sharp pressure on the diaphragm
hyperventilation
hyper- = excessive
to breath too quickly (tachypnea) and too deeply (hyperpnea)
hypoventilation
hypo- = insufficient
to breathe too slowly (bradypnea) and too shallowly (hypopnea)
hypoxia
hypo- = insufficient
ox/o = oxygen
-ia = condition
having an insufficient amount of oxygen in the body
infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS)
also known as hyaline membrane disease (HMD)
condition seen in premature infants whose lungs have not had time to fully develop; lungs are not able to expand fully, causing extreme difficulty in breathing and can result in death
influenza (flu)
acute viral infection of airways; usually highly contagious; symptoms include chills, fever, body aches, and dry cough
intermittent positive pressure breathing (IPPB)
method of artificial ventilation using a mask connected to a machine that produces pressure to assist air to fill the lungs
metered-dose inhaler (MDI)
mechanism that delivers aerosol therapy in a single puff of mist or powder
nebulizer
mechanism that delivers aerosol therapy mist, usually via a mask, over time as a person breathes
phlegm
thick mucus secreted by mucous membranes lining the respiratory tract; phlegm that is coughed out through the mouth is call sputum
pleural effusion
pleur/o = pleura
-al = pertaining to
abnormal presence of fluid or gas in the pleural cavity; presence of this fluid can be detected by tapping the chest (percussion) or listening with a stethoscope (auscultation)
pleural friction rub
pleur/o = pleura
-al = pertaining to
crunching sound made when inflamed pleurae rub against each other; likened to the sound of walking on fresh snow
pleurisy
pleur/o = pleura
inflammation of the pleura
pneumonia
pneumon/o = lung
-ia = condition
acute inflammatory condition of the lung, which can be caused by bacterial and viral infections, diseases, and chemicals; severe dyspnea and death can result when alveoli fill with fluid (pulmonary infiltrate)
pneumothorax
pneum/o = lung
-throrax = chest
collection of air or gas in the pleural cavity, which can result in collapse of the lung
postural drainage
drainage of secretions from the bronchi by placing the patient in a position that uses gravity to promote drainage; used for treatment of cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis
pulmonary angiography pulmon/o = lung -ary = pertaining to angi/o = vessel -graphy = process of recording
injecting dye into a blood vessel for the purpose of taking an x-ray of arteries and veins of the lungs; diagnostic imaging test for a pulmonary embolism
pulmonary edema
pulmon/o = lung
-ary = pertaining to
condition in which lung tissue retains an excessive amount of fluid; results in dyspnea
pulmonary embolism (PE) pulmon/o = lung -ary = pertaining to embol/o = plug
blood clot or air bubble in the pulmonary artery or one of its branches; results in an infarct of lung tissue
pulmonary function test (PFT)
pulmon/o = lung
-ary = pertaining to
diagnostic procedure to assess respiratory function by using a spirometer to measure airflow and lung volumes; often performed by respiratory therapists
purulent
containing pus, as in purulent sputum
respiratory rate (RR)
number of breaths per minute; one of the vital signs (respiratory rate, heart rate, temperature, blood pressure)
severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
severe and highly contagious viral lung infection with a high fever; threatened worldwide epidemic in 2003
sputum
mucus or phlegm coughed up and spit out from the repiratory tract
sputum culture and sensitivity (C&S)
testing sputum by placing it on a culture medium and observing any bacterial growth; the specimen is tested to determine the selection of an effective antibiotic
sputum cytology
cyt/o = cell
-logy = study of
examination of sputum for malignant cells
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
unexpected and unexplained death of an apparently well infant; sleep apnea, airway spasms, and failure of nerves to stimulate the diaphragm have been studied as possible causes
sweat test
diagnostic test for cystic fibrosis; children with this disease lose an excessive amount of salt in their sweat
tuberculin skin tests (TB test)
diagnostic test for exposure to tuberculosis bacteria by injecting purified protein derivative (PPD) under the surface of the skin and evaluating the site for a reaction (also called Mantoux test)
tuberculosis (TB)
infectious disease caused by tubercle bacillus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; most commonly affects the respiratory system and causes inflammation and calcification in the lungs
ventilation-perfusion scan
nuclear medicine image particularly useful in diagnosing pulmonary emboli; involves inhalation of radioactive tagged air to evaluate air movement (ventilation) and injection of radioactive tagged dye into the bloodstream to evaluate blood flow (perfusion) to the lungs
ventilator
mechanical device to assist a patient to breath; also called a respirator
wheeze
whistling sound that can be heard during either inhalation or exhalation; caused by the narrowing of bronchi as in asthma or infection; also called rhonchi
