Respiratory Emergencies Flashcards
What does the brain depend on a continuous supply of?
oxygen
What are signs of cerebral hypoxia?
Anxiety (early sign), confusion, lethargy, seizure and coma
What respiratory symptoms can occur after neurological injury?
Irregular respiratory patterns, hypoventilation, nervous impairment of respiratory muscles
When respiratory function is impaired, how does the CV system attempt to compensate?
with an increased HR and SV
Eventually, what will hypoxia lead to?
decreased HR and decreased CO (myocardium requires O2 to pump)
What are some observable signs of respiratory stress?
-Tripod positioning
-Nasal flaring
-Audible wheezes/crackles
-Accessory muscle use
-~1-5-word dyspnea
-Depth/rate (approximate)
-Odor
-Skin color
What are some things to look for in a focused respiratory assessment?
-Oropharynx - foul odor? possible FBAO?
-Neck - accessory muscle use
-Chest/abdomen -accessory muscle use, diaphragmatic breathing
-Extremities - tingling, cyanosis
-Sputum - color? Change in color?
What do the signs and symptoms of respiratory tract infections depend on?
-functions of the structure involved
-severity of illness
-patients age/general health status
What is the most common cause of respiratory infections?
Viruses (can leave the patient open to a secondary bacterial infection as well)
What is the common cold?
Viral infection of the upper respiratory tract and the most common respiratory tract infection
What different viruses are associated with the common cold?
rhinoviruses are the primary agent involved
-Others include parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), coronavirus
How long does a cold commonly last?
7 days with a 2-day incubation period
What are the clinical manifestations of the common cold?
-Dry/congested nasopharynx followed by excessive production of nasal secretions and tearing of the eyes (aka - rhinitis)
-Typically, secretions are clear and watery
-Red/swollen mucous membranes of the URT
-Postnasal drip can irritate the pharynx and larynx causing sore throat, hoarseness and cough
-Headache, malaise, chills, fever, fatigue, anorexia
What are treatments for the common cold?
-A self-limiting illness in normal healthy people
-Treatment of symptoms with rest/antipyretic drugs as needed
-Antihistamine drugs are helpful for drying the nasal secretions but don’t shorten the length of illness
-Decongestant drugs blood vessels in the nasal mucosa (reducing swelling)
-Maintaining fluid/electrolyte intake to avoid dehydration
What is rhinosinusitis?
Inflammation of the nasal sinuses (cavities lined with mucosa and cilia)
What are the causes of rhinosinusitis?
-can be acute viral, bacterial or mixed
-usually associated with a viral upper respiratory tract infection first
What are the clinical manifestations of rhinosinusitis?
Similar to the common cold. Facial/nasal pain or pressure is also common
How is rhinosinusitis treated?
By treating the cause (antibiotics, rest, symptom management, etc.)
What is pneumonia?
Inflammation of parenchymal structures of the lung - alveoli and bronchioles
What kind of agents can cause pneumonia?
-Agents include infectious and non-infectious agents
-Inhalation of irritating fumes or aspiration of gastric contents can cause pneumonia
What is aspiration?
breathing in a foreign object, usually into the lungs (often stomach contents)
How is pneumonia classified?
-How it was acquired (hospital acquired, community acquired)
-Areas of airway affected (lobar pneumonia, bronchopneumonia)
-Source of infectious agent (typical - bacterial, atypical - mycoplasma bacteria or viral)
What is community acquired pneumonia?
An infection that begins outside the hospital or is diagnosed within 48 hours after admission to the hospital in a person who has not resided in a long-term care facility for 14 days or more before admission. May be bacterial or viral
What is treatment for community acquired pneumonia?
Appropriate antibiotics (if indicated), treatment of symptoms, hospitalization if necessary (usually with elderly and medically fragile
What is hospital-acquired pneumonia?
-Lower respiratory tract infection that was not present or incubating on admission to the hospital
-Most often bacterial
What is pneumonia in immunocompromised people?
-Pneumonia in the immunocompromised
-Immunocompromised - people with a variety of underlying defects in defense immunodeficiency, bone marrow or organ transplants, corticosteroid or
immunosuppressant drugs
How can a URTI make us more susceptible to lower infections like pneumonia?
-Typically our upper airway has defenses that keep our lower airway sterile
-URTI can diminish our innate defenses (damaged/destroy cilia, loss of cough reflex,
preoccupied immune response) opening us up to a lower infection like pneumonia
What are some risk factors for lower respiratory infections?
-Patients with critical or chronic illnesses often have epithelial cells in their airway that are more prone to adherence with infectious bacteria
-Other clinical risk factors include: Antibiotic therapy (that alters normal bacterial flora), diabetes, smoking, COPD, viral infections
What are the two main types of bacterial pneumonia?
Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Legionnaire’s Disease
What is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia?
Pneumococcal Pneumonia
How does pneumococcal pneumonia’s structure allow it to spread quickly?
It’s structural make up causes a delay in phagocytic digestion - leading to a more rapid spread/infection
What are the signs and symptoms of pneumococcal pneumonia?
Fever, malaise, productive cough (sputum may progress from white, to red, to brown, to purulent), crackles (bilateral or unilateral), pleuritic pain, anorexia
How do we treat pneumococcal pneumonia?
-Antibiotics effective against the specific strain
-Manage symptoms
-Immunization (preventative) - recommended for ≥65yrs or medically fragile patients
What is pleuritic pain?
chest pain (usually tightness) that worsens with coughing, deep breathing and movements
How is legionnaire disease transmitted?
transmitted via aerosolized droplets of water contaminated with the pathogen
What are the signs and symptoms of legionnaire disease?
-Malaise, weakness, lethargy, fever, dry cough, fever
-CNS disturbances, GI disturbances, arthralgia (joint pain)
What are the treatments for legionnaire disease?
-Antibiotics effective against the specific strain
-Manage symptoms
What is primary atypical pneumonia?
-Caused by either a mycoplasma bacteria or viruses
-Characterized by patchy lung involvement
-Patients are predisposed to secondary lung infections due to damaged epithelium
What is Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)?
-A respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus
-Spread primarily by person to person contact and respiratory droplets
What are the signs and symptoms of SARS?
Fever, chills, malaise, headache, muscle aches, nonproductive cough, dyspnea, and diarrhea
What is lung cancer caused by?
-80% is caused by cigarette smoking
-another common cause is exposure to asbestos and other inhaled irritants
What are the clinical manifestations of lung cancer?
-Anorexia, weight loss, fatigue
-Chronic cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, hemoptysis
-Pain may present as localized or generalized throughout the pleural tissue depending on the mets
-Pleural effusion resulting in atelectasis
-Decreased SpO2, pallor, cyanosis
What are some anatomical considerations for pediatric patients?
-Intercostal muscles are not fully developed as infants, rely mainly on diaphragm
-Lungs and chest are very compliant
-Accessory muscles in peds tire out very quickly - if they are in use, consider the patient to be in severe respiratory distress
-Narrower airways are more prone to obstruction (complete or partial) from foreign bodies or mucous during infection
-Large occiput can create anatomical airway obstruction
What are common manifestations of respiratory distress in infants and small children?
grunting, retractions, nasal flaring , stridor, wheezing, lethargy, bobbing head, tripod positioning, drooling, pallor, cyanosis (central or peripheral), tachypnea, dyspnea, orthopnea
What is positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)?
Pressure that remains in the airways at the end of the respiratory cycle (keeps a/w open)