Respiratory system Flashcards
Chemoreceptors in brain
monitors CO2 +pH in blood, increase or decrease respiratory rate
Pulmonary circulation
Function: move blood to and from alveolocapillary membrane
Acts as a filter - removes small thrombi before reaching vital
organs
Begins at the pulmonary artery deoxygenated
conditions affecting chest wall movement
pregnancy, obesity, musculoskeletal abnormalities, trauma, neuromuscular diseases, CNS alterations
what causes hypoventilation?
severe atelectasis (collapse of all or part of the lungs)
what is hypoxia?
inadequate tissue oxygenation at the cellular level
causes of hypoxia
decreased hemoglobin level, diminished concentration of inspired oxygen, inability of the tissues to extract oxygen from the blood (cyanide poisoning), decreased diffusion (pneumonia), poor tissue perfusion
with oxygenated blood, and impaired ventilation
lifestyle risk factors
poor nutrition, inadequate exercise, smoking, substance abuse and stress
environmental risk factors
where you live, workplace and occupational pollutants, exposure to second-hand smoke
things you want to know about in someone’s health history in relation to the respiratory system
pain, fatigue, smoking, dyspnea, cough, wheezing, environmental exposures, respiratory infections, allergies, health risks, medications
Inspection
Skin and mucous membrane colour
General appearance
Level of consciousness (LOC)
Adequacy of systemic circulation
Breathing patterns
Any abnormalities should be further assessed during palpation, percussion, and auscultation
Look for clubbed nails (this indicates prolonged oxygen deficiency)
Chest wall movement (retraction, sinking of skin between intercostal spaces)
Note the anteroposterior diameter of the chest wall
Palpation
tenderness, tactile fremitus, heaves, abnormal masses or lumps in axilla or breast tissues
Percussion
used to detect the presence of fluid or air in the lungs, resonance, hyper-resonance, flat and dull
Auscultation
Identify normal and abnormal lung sounds, listening for air movement in all lung fields (posterior, anterior, lateral), adventitious breath sounds heard with collapsed lung segment, fluid in the lungs, or narrowing or obstruction of airway
Dyspnea management
pharmacological measures (bronchodilators, steroids, mucolytics and anti-anxiety medications), oxygen therapy, physical techniques (breathing techniques, exercise, cough control)
mobilization of pulmonary secretions
humidification, nebulization and chest physiotherapy
