Upper Respiratory Flashcards
Areas of the Upper Respiratory Tract in order
Nose Paranasal sinuses Pharynx Larynx Trachea
what happens in The Nasal Cavity
Air is inhaled through the nostrils.
Warmed as it moves down to the pharynx
Mucous membranes
line the nasal cavity to trap unwanted particles or bacteria and infection
Paranasal Sinuses
Produces the mucous that protects the nasal cavity.
list the 4 Paranasal Sinuses
Frontal sinus
Ethmoid sinus
Sphenoid sinus
Maxillary sinus
The sinuses are a common site of _____
infection.
Pharynx
Serves both the respiratory and the digestive system.
Pharynx is composed of
Nasopharynx
Oropharynx
Laryngopharynx
function of The larynx or “voice box”
vocalization, but it also protects the lower airway from foreign objects and facilitates coughing; it is, therefore, sometimes referred to as the “watchdog of the lungs”
Trachea
Provides airflow to and from lungs for respiration.
Bronchi
- Highways for gas exchange
2. Oxygen enters and CO2 leaves through them.
The right lung has upper, middle, and lower lobes, whereas the left lung
consists of upper and lower lobes
physiologic dead space
airways contain about 150 mL of air in the tracheobronchial tree that does not participate in gas exchange
The lung is made up of about ______ alveoli
300 million
purulent sputum
(thick and yellow, green, or rust colored)
change in color of the sputum is a common sign of a________.
bacterial infection
Pink-tinged mucoid sputum suggests
a lung tumor
mucoid sputum frequently results from
viral bronchitis.
Profuse, frothy, pink material, often welling up into the throat, may indicate
pulmonary edema.
Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs)
- Such tests include measurements of lung volumes, ventilatory function, and the mechanics of breathing, diffusion, and gas exchange.
- Considers patient’s height, weight, age, gender, and ethnicity.
PFTs can be performed before
surgery
PFT home spirometer is given to
measure patients peak flow rate
Clubbing of the finger:
change in shape of finger tips and nail to be more round like a “club”.
clubbing of fingers It is a sign of
lung disease that is found in patients with chronic hypoxic conditions
Cyanosis
a bluish coloring of the skin, is a very late indicator of hypoxia
Percussion produces audible and tactile vibration and allows
the nurse to determine whether underlying tissues are filled with air, fluid, or solid material.
discuss the 2 main percussion sounds
Healthy lung tissue is resonant.
Dullness over the lung occurs when air-filled lung tissue is replaced by fluid or solid tissue.
Arterial Blood Gas Studies (ABGs) 2 purposes
- Assesses the lung’s ability to provide oxygen and remove CO2.
- Assesses ability of the kidneys to reabsorb or excrete bicarbonate ions to maintain normal pH.
ABG levels are obtained through
an arterial puncture at the radial, brachial, or femoral artery or through an indwelling arterial catheter
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VBG levels can be obtained by
drawing blood from the venous circulation
Venous Blood Gas Studies:
Checks the amount of O2 used by the tissues vs. the amount being returned to the heart.
Pulse Oximetry
- Monitors the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin.
- Normal value is 95% or greater.
- If less than 90%, the tissues are not receiving enough oxygen
A throat culture or “strep test” is performed by using
a throat swab to detect the presence of group A streptococcus bacteria or “strep throat”
Nasal or nasopharyngeal culture detects
Influenza or Staphylococcus aureus
ETA of culture results
Sits in lab at least 24 hrs for preliminary results, and final results 48-72 hrs.
Ideally, all cultures should be obtained prior to
the initiation of antibiotic therapy.
Sputum Studies are
Analysis of pathogenic organisms and can determine if malignant cells are present
Sputum Studies Usually done with patients who are
receiving antibiotics, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive medications.
to obtain a sputum sample
Patient coughs deeply and expectorates sputum from the lungs into sterile container.
If the patient cannot expel an adequate sputum sample by coughing
coughing can be induced by administering an aerosolized hypertonic solution via a nebulizer
Sputum samples ideally are obtained in what time of the day
early in the morning before the patient has had anything to eat or drink.
Focused Respiratory Assessment on HISTORY portion
History of respiratory disease Smoking Environmental exposures Cough or sputum appearance Dyspnea Medications (any antibiotics, corticosteroids, immunisuppressive treatment, asthma) Previous treatment
Focused Respiratory Assessment - on INSPECTION
- Use of accessory muscles while breathing
- Symmetry of chest
- Rate of respirations
- Skin color of lips, face, hands, feet
Fine crackles:
sounds like hair rubbing together associated with asthma, COPD, fibrosis.
Coarse crackles:
harsh moist popping sounds associate with COPD, pulmonary edema.
Wheezes:
musical high pitch sound associated with bronchitis, emphysema, asthma
Pleural friction rub:
low pitch rubbing sound (rubbing of fingers together like) associated with pleurisy and loss of lubrication
Normal breath sounds are classified as
tracheal, bronchial, bronchovesicular, and vesicular sounds.
Viral Rhinitis aka Common cold is
Acute inflammation and infection of the mucous membranes
viral rhinitis is Contagious _____ before symptoms appear.
2 days
Viral Rhinitis Survive best when
humidity is low in the colder months.
__(x amount of)__ different viruses can cause a cold
200
most common viral rhinitis virus is
Rhinoviruse
viral rhinitis doesn’t need
antibiotics. Antibiotics are for bacterial infections
Allergic rhinitis is further classified as seasonal or perennial rhinitis and is commonly associated
with exposure to airborne particles such as dust or pollen
Despite popular belief, cold temperatures and exposure to cold rainy weather
do not increase the incidence or severity of the common cold.
Viral rhinitis symptoms
low grade fever. nasal congestion rhinorrhea halitosis sneezing watery eyes sore throat and cough malaise and chills headache and muscle aches
Halitosis:
bad smelling breath
Rhinorrhea:
runny nose
The symptoms of viral rhinitis may last
from 1 to 2 weeks
Viral rhinitis Medical management
TREAT THE SYMPTOMS with medications!
Adequate fluid intake
Rest
Medications for Viral rhinitis Medical management
- Expectorants
- NSAIDs
- Antihistamines
- topical nasal decongestants
- petroleum jelly
Expectorants, what they do and an example of medication
remove secretions (like mucinex, Guaifenesin)
NSAIDs
like ibuprofen and aspirin (relief pain)
Antihistamines help with
(helps with sneezing, nasal congestion)
Petroleum jelly
can soothe irritated, chapped, and raw skin around the nostrils
Use topical nasal decongestants with caution! its overuse can
produce rhinitis medicamentosa, or rebound rhinitis. Maximum 3 days!
Humidified air for viral rhinitis
has not been proven.
Transmission of viral rhinitis is
direct contact and droplet.
Sneezing in elbow is better than sneezing in hands because
patients don’t always wash hands and they can spread the droplets on surfaces.