Week 2 - Respiratory System Flashcards
What is included in the Upper Respiratory Tract?
- Nasal Cavity
- Pharynx
- Larynx
- Trachea
What is included in the lower Respiratory Tract?
- Left and Right Lung
- Left and Right Bronchus
- Bronchiole
- Alveoli
- Diaphragm
Define Ventilation
Physical action of breathing
Define Inspiration
Air rushes into the lungs as the chest size increases
Define Expiration
Air is expelled out of the lungs as the chest recoils
Define Diffusion
Passive movement of gases from high concentration to low
Define Perfusion
Movement of blood to and from the lungs and the delivery of oxygen around the body
What is the General Approach to a
Respiratory Assessment
- Primary assessment (rule out life threats)
- Gather equipment and hand hygiene
- Greet the patient and gain consent
- Ensure room temperature is comfortable and quiet
- Lighting
- Removal of clothing, provide privacy
- Patient positioning: Upright sitting position (semifowlers)
- Collection of subjective and objective data
- Visualise the underlying respiratory structures
- Compare the right and the left sides
- Systematic approach (HIPPA)
What is Hypoxia
Occurs when there is inadequate tissue oxygenation, anything below 90% is considered hypoxic.
What is the Signs and Symptoms of Hypoxia
- Restless (early)
- Dizziness
- Tachypnoea / dyspnoea
- Unable to speak in full sentences
- Use of accessory muscles
What is the management of Hypoxia
- Assessment
- Establishment of airway and breathing
- Positioning
- Oxygen therapy
- Find and reverse the cause
- MDI/Nebulisers
- Environmental changes
- Chest physio, deep breathing /coughing and incentive spirometry
- Hydration
- Reassurance
What is Croup
- Upper airway involvement /obstruction
- Common in Paediatrics
- Narrowing of the upper airway
- Stridor/hoarse/barking cough or voice
How to treat Croup
Treat with Steroids
Define Asthma
- Asthma is a common inflammatory disease of the lower airways (chronic)
- Present in all age groups/ human life spans
What happens to the membranes during Asthma
- Mucous membrane and muscle layers of the bronchi become thickened leading to the enlargement of mucous glands
- Reducing airflow to the lower respiratory tract (inflammation and muscle tightening of the
airways)
What are Signs and Symptoms of Asthma
- Chest pain or tightness
- Cough, shortness of breath, wheezing
- Fever, sweating, chills
- Fatigue, confusion or other changes in
mental awareness (especially >65yrs) - Nausea and vomiting
What does the Inflammatory process cause in Asthma?
- Vascular congestion
- Oedema
- Production of thick mucus
- Bronchial muscle spasm
- Thickening of airway walls and increased bronchial hyper-responsiveness
What is the Management of Asthma
Treat with bronchodilators
Define Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Characterised by:
- Emphysema - damage to the lungs over time
– Chronic bronchitis - long-term mucous accumulation
What is the Modifiable Risk Factor
- Smoking
- Smoking is the main cause of COPD
What are Signs and Symptoms of COPD
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Recurrent RTI
- SOB
- Difficulty breathing (dyspnea)
Define Pneumonia
- Infection of the lungs causing inflammation and fluid accumulation of the alveoli
- Can be classified according to the causative organism:
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Mycoplasma
- Fungi
- Parasites
- Chemicals
What are the different clinical classification of Pneumonia
- Community-acquired Pneumonia (CAP)
- Hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP)
- Medical-care-associated (MCAP)
- Ventilator-associated (VAP)
- Healthcare-associated (HCAP)
What is Hospital-Acuired Pneumonia
- HAP- occurs >48hrs post-admission, due to immobility,
Post-op aspiration or aspiration - Common causative organism- Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacteria
What is the Acute Intervention for Pneumonia
- Prompt initiation of antibiotics
- Oxygen therapy
- Hydration
- Nutritional support
- Breathing exercises/physio
- Early ambulation/repositioning
- Pain management
What is the expected outcome after nursing management
- Effective respiratory rate, rhythm, and depth of respirations
- Lungs clear to auscultation
- Reports pain under control
- SpO2 ≥ 95
- Free of adventitious breath sounds
- Clear sputum from the airway
Define Atelectasis
- Common cause of hypoxia
- Deflation of alveoli causing a reduction in oxygenation
- Collapsed, airless alveoli causing a partial or complete collapsed lung
- Obstruction of the small airways with
secretions
What is Pulmonary Oedema
- Excessive fluid in the lungs
- Collection of fluid in the alveoli
- Difficulty breathing
- Reduced gas exchange (oxygenation and r/o CO2)
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Pulmonary Oedema
- Dizziness
- Weakness/fatigue
- Cyanosis
- SOB
- Difficulty breathing
Nursing management of Pulmonary Oedema
- Assessment
- Positioning
- Treatment of the cause (diuretics to clear the excess fluid)
- Oxygen +/- NIV (CPAP)
- Monitor
Define Pulmonary Embolism
- Blockage of pulmonary arteries by
thrombus, fat or air embolus, or
tumour tissue - Usually from a thrombus that
breaks off becoming an embolus
and enters the pulmonary circulation - Obstructs alveolar perfusion
What are the risk factor of Pulmonary Embolism
More than 90% of pulmonary emboli arise from deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the deep veins of the legs
What is the Nursing Management of Pulmonary Embolism
- Primary assessment (rule out life threats)
- Semi-Fowler’s position to facilitate breathing
- Oxygen therapy
- IV access
- Frequent observations and monitoring
- Monitor laboratory/pathology results
- Implement DVT measures
- Emotional support and reassurance
- Patient education and management /follow-up care
What is the expected outcome from the Nursing Management of Pulmonary Embolism
Adequate:
- tissue perfusion
- respiratory function
- gas exchange
- cardiac output
- Increased level of comfort
- No recurrence of PE (preventative measures)
What is Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax is air leaking into the
pleural space resulting in a partial or
complete lung collapse
- Normally, negative pressure exists between the visceral pleura (surrounding the lung) and the parietal pleura (lining the thoracic cavity) this allows the lung to be filled by chest wall
expansion
What is the different types of Pneumothorax
- Spontaneous
- Traumatic (open/closed)
- Tension (pressure on great vessels)
Define Asbestosis
- (asbestos exposure)
- Chronic lung disease caused from exposure of asbestos dust
Define Silicosis
- (silica exposure)
- Lung capacity to oxygenation is reduced from exposure of silica
dust
What is Spirometry
The most common type of breathing assessment that measures pulmonary function on inspiration and expiration
