Week 4: Respiratory Assessment Flashcards
What are the symptoms of respiratory failure type 1?
- hypoxaemia
- low inspired O2
- alveolar hypoventilation
- diffusion impairment
- shunt
What are the causes of respiratory failure type 1?
- pulmonary oedema
- pneumonia
- asthma
- COPD
- pulmonary embolism
- acute respiratory distress syndrome
What are the symptoms of respiratory failure type 2?
- hypercapnia
- central neurological injury
- neuromuscular dysfunction
- abnormalities of the chest wall, airway or lungs
What are potential causes of respiratory failure type 2?
- COPD
- severe asthma
- muscle weakness e.g. Gillian barre syndrome
- respiratory centre depression
What is a pulmonary oedema?
A pathophysiological condition where there is fluid in and around alveoli, interfering with gas exchange, increasing the work of breathing
What are the two types of pulmonary oedema?
- cardiogenic (high pressure)
- non-cardiogenic (high permeability)
Define what a clinical assessment is
Clinical assessment is a way of diagnosing and planning treatment for a patient that involves evaluating someone in order to figure out what is wrong
What is the structure of a respiratory assessment?
- introduction
- clinical history
- general impression
- examination of hands
- examination of the thorax
- palpation
- percussion
- auscultation
What are you looking for when examining the hands?
- temperature
- palpate radial pulse
- assess respiratory rate
- fine tremor
- flapping tremor
- cap refill
What are you looking for when examining the face?
- central cyanosis
- plethoric complexion
- eyes
- pursed lip in expiration
- signs of dehydration
What are you looking at when inspecting the thorax?
- scars, small mid-axillary
- horizontal lateral scars
- skin changes
- asymmetry
- deformities
- hyper expansion (barrel chest)
What are you looking for when performing percussion?
- resonant normal findings
- hypo resonant-consolidation
- hyper resonant pnuemothorax
What are you looking for when palpitating?
- tracheal position
- chest expansion
- expansion
What are you assessing the quality of in auscultation?
- vesicular (normal)
- bronchial (harsh sounding associated with consolidation)
- the volume of sounds
- quiet breath sounds- reduced air entry/consolidation
What can a wheeze usually suggest?
asthma/COPD
