Week 8 - Respiratory Flashcards
Pulm
Lung
Apnoea
Without breathing
Pnoea
Breathing
Dys
Difficult, painful
Dyspnoea
Difficulty in breathing
Paries
Wall, psrtition
Viscera
Organ
Pleur
Side of body, rib
Pneuma
Air
Thorac
Chest
What are some relevant nursing actions related to the respiratory system?
- Respiratory assessment and recording of rate
- Blood oxygen saturation level recording
- Administrating oxygen and nebulise medications
- Intubation and ventilation of patient
- Care and removal of chest drains
List some functions of pulmonary ventilation
- Venous blood flow
- Lymph flow
- Speech
- Smell
What is the role of elastic tissue?
Lungs recoil passively when exhaling, conserving ATP.
Label these structures in correct anatomical order starting from the nasal cavity, bronchi, larynx, alveoli, trachea, pharynx and bronchioles.
- Nasal Cavity
- Pharynx
- Larynx
- Trachea
- Bronchi
- Bronchioles
- Alveoli
What is the specific function of cilia in the trachea?
Move contaminated mucous to oropharynx for swallowing.
Why do we encourage patients to breathe in through their nose rather than their mouth?
- Pharyngeal tonsil - filters pathogen
- Nasal mucosa - warm, humidity and traps debris and pathogen
As a tracheostomy bypasses the nasal cavity how would this effect the quality of the air inspired by the patient? What could the nurse do to assist with this problem?
- Air - Colder, dryer and unfiltered.
- Nurse intervention - provide warm and humidity air.
What are some non-breathing functions of the lungs?
- Acid-base balance of blood (pH)
- Produces angiotensin - converting enzyme (ACE)
- Blood pressure control
Name the two main muscles that initiate the volume and pressure changes in the thorax?
- Diaphragm
- External intercostals
If a patient has a painful chest or abdominal wound how may this effect their pulmonary ventilation (breathing)?
Discomfort from pain will reduce depth of pulmonary ventilation and therefore gas exchange (external respiration)
When the volume of the thorax increases does the internal pressure increase or decrease relative to atmospheric pressure (760 mmHg)?
Decreases
What can nurse do to alleviate this problem?
- Pain Relief - medication
- Analgesia - Without ‘sense of pain’
- Rolled towel to support wound
Why encourage a patient with a respiratory tract infection to expectorate their sputum (mucus) into a container rather than swallow it?
Swallowing will move infectious agent, products and debris into the digestive tract.
What does the phrenic nerve do
Stimulates the diaphragm to contract
