Respiratory Disease Overview Flashcards
What are the two main components to respiration?
Ventilation and gas exchange
What are the main issues that can affect ventilation?
- airway patency problems
- the ability of muscles to move rib cage to allow ventilation to take place
what are the main issues that affect gas exchange?
- inadequate number of alveoli
- fibrosis of the alveolar wall
Why is it important to visualise the “costophrenic angles” on a chest x-ray?
Because if there is fluid present in lungs it will collect here first. Fluid in lungs will appear whiter.
What type of x-ray is chosen over a chest x-ray when assessing respiration?
CT scan
How many lobes does the left lung have?
2
How many lobes does the right lung have?
3
what function do the ribs have in regards to the lungs?
They allow a change in intra-thoracic volume
What is meant by accessory muscles of respiration? and give two examples
Their primary function is not ventilation but if ventilation is compromised and more “pull” is needed on the rib cage, these muscles can be used.
Examples: pectoris major and minor
what happens to size of airway as you move from trachea to alveoli?
It narrows
The ability to transfer gas or liquid through a tube is proportional to what?
The power of 8 of the radius
what happens to the ability to transfer gas as the radius of a vessel reduces?
Reduces
Describe type 2 respiratory failure
Where there is inadequate ventilation in that the level of O2 in airways decreases and CO2 levels will rise. The ability of the patient to oxygenate and remove CO2 from the blood will be compromised.
Where does gas exchange occur in the lungs?
In the alveoli
By what process is gas exchanged in the alveoli?
Passive diffusion
What disease is characterised by destruction of alveoli in lungs?
Emphysema
what specifically happens to the alveoli in a disease such as emphysema?
Alveoli merged in some places to form larger air spaces, as this happens, the ability for blood to be oxygenated properly and have CO2 removed becomes less, as there is less surface area for this to happen.
What three things may cause failure of the alveoli to get O2 in and CO2 out of blood?
- Thickening of alveolar wall
- Inadequate number of alveoli
- Mismatch between where air and blood goes in the lungs
what is meant by V-Q mismatch?
Where there is a blockage of airway or blood vessel so that blood goes easily to one part of lung but the air goes easily to another part. Blood and gas need to go to same part in order for gas exchange to take place. This is a main cause of respiratory failure.
What is type 1 respiratory failure?
Gas exchange failure
Name 5 common respiratory symptoms
- Cough
- Wheeze
- Stridor
- Dyspnoea
- Pain
What is a productive cough?
Where a certain amount of sputum is produced
If a patient coughs up blood, what is this suggestive of?
Lung cancer or an infection such as TB
Define, the subjective awareness of the sensation of uncomfortable breathing.
Dyspnoea
what is the normal rate of respiration?
12-15 breaths/minute
what would be as suspected respiratory rate for an individual way asthma?
20-30 breaths/minute
What is meant by consolidation?
“When the air in the small airways of the lungs is replaced with a fluid, solid or other material such as pus, blood,water, stomach contents or cells”
If a patient speaks while stethoscope is on chest, and noise is clearly transmitted through to stethoscope, what is his indicative of?
Consolidation, possible solid mass within the lung
What are the three main ventilation diseases?
- Asthma
- COPD
- Bronchiectasis
what are the three main gas exchange diseases?
- COPD (emphysema)
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Ventilation-perfusion mismatch
When undertaking a sputum examination, what is green sputum suggestive of?
Puss and possible infection
When undertaking a sputum examination, what is yellow/white sputum suggestive of?
Excess production of normal sputum, often seen in asthmatics
When undertaking a sputum examination, what is blood speckled or stained sputum suggestive of?
Inflammatory condition or a malignancy
What are the 6 main respiratory investigations?
- Sputum examination
- Chest radiograph
- CT scan
- Spirometry (pulmonary function)
- Bronchoscopy
- VQ scan
What does spirometry test?
“How much air you can breathe in and out of your lungs, as well as how easily and fast you can blow air out your lungs.”
What respiratory investigation allows you to physically look at airways by passing a fibre-optic scope into the lungs?
Bronchoscopy
what type of element is used as the basis of VR scanning?
Radioisotopes
what does PEFR stand for?
Peak expiratory flow rate
What test can be used at home by patients to measure air flow out of lungs?
PEFR test
