Week One Flashcards
Definition of acute care?
The health system components, or care delivery platforms, used to treat sudden, often unexpected, urgent or emergent episodes of injury and illness that can lead to death or disability without rapid intervention
Types of admission?
- Emergency or unplanned admission
- Elective planned surgery or treatment
- For review (outpatients)
- Ongoing treatment
What timeframe of an illnesses is considered indicate acute illness?
3 months
What are the three functions of the respiratory system?
- Ventilation
- Diffusion
- Perfusion
What is normal ventilation and diffusion?
Alveoli transfer oxygen into the vein and carry carbon dioxide out of the blood
What is respiratory failure?
A condition that occurs as a result of one or more diseases involving the lungs or other systems affects lung function, 02 delivery, cardiac output or baseline metabolic state
What is type one of respiratory failure?
Failure of oxygenation, resulting in hypoxia but normal PaCO2
What is type two of respiratory failure?
Failure of ventilation, resulting in both hypoxaemia and hypercapnia
What are signs and symptoms of respiratory failure?
- Sudden or chronic
- Signs and symptoms relate to extent of change and patients ability to compensate for change
What is hypoxemia?
Low partial pressure of oxygen in the blood
What is hypoxia?
Low oxygenation of tissues
What is the most common cause of hypoxemia and a component of most causes of respiratory failure?
V/Q mismatch
What can affect V/Q ration and cause a V/Q mismatch?
- Shunt
- Physiological dead space
What is seen in hypoxemia?
- Normal PaCO2
- Decreased Pa02 (< 60-80 mmHg)
- Decreased Sa02
- Poor oxygenation of the blood
What is seen in hypercapnia?
- Increased PaC02 (> 50mmHg)
- With a pH < 7.35mmHg
- Failure of ventilation & insufficient C02 removal
What are causes of hypoxemia (type one)?
- ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome)
- Pneumonia
- Shock
- Massive pulmonary embolism
What are causes of hypercapnia (type two)?
- Asthma
- COPD
- MS
- Pneumothorax
- Brain stem infarction
What are signs and symptoms relate to extent of change and patients ability to compensate for change?
- Ability to talk in sentences or single words?
- Restlessness
- Exhaustion
- Positioning
- Respiratory rate changes from fast to slow
- Paradoxical breathing
What are nursing assessments for ARF?
- General presentation
- Skin and is cyanosis present?
- Auscultate
- Posture
- Speech
- Accessory muscle use
- Cardiac status, vital signs
- ABG’s, pulse oximetry, PEFR, capnography.
- Assess systems affected by ARF: CNS, CVS, fluids & electrolytes and renal system
What is ARDS?
Acute respiratory distress syndrome
- 40% mortality rate
- Sudden & progressive
- Alveolar-capillary interface becomes damaged and more permeable. Fluid containing proteins fills the alveoli resulting in severe dyspnoea and hypoxemia refractory to supplemental 02, with reduced lung compliance and diffuse pulmonary infiltrates.
- At the same time, an inflammatory chain reaction occurs
- Damage to endothelium of the alveoli, damage to Type One alveolar lining cells allow for more fluid and debris into the alveolar space & Type II cells cause a loss of surfactant
What is treatment for ARDS?
- Intubation & mechanical support
- Oxygen
- Circulatory support
- Adequate fluid volume
- Nutritional support
- ABG monitoring
- Continuous vital sign monitoring - Art line, cardiac monitor, SV02
- Positioning in bed, rotated 2 hourly to evenly ventilate lungs
What is a Swan Ganz catheter?
A pulmonary artery catheter
What is pneumonia?
- Acute inflammation of the lung parenchyma with associated symptoms
- Common and some types have a high mortality
How do organisms reach lungs to cause pneumonia?
- Aspiration of normal flora nasopharynx or oropharynx
- Inhalation of microbes
- Haematogenous spread from primary infection elsewhere
What are the types of pneumonia?
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Mycoplasma organisms
- Fungi
- Parasites
- Chemical
What are the classifications of pneumonia?
- Community acquired pneumonia (CAP)
- Medical care acquired pneumonia (MCAP)
What is community acquired pneumonia (CAP)?
Developed pneumonia after not being hospitalised or in a long-term care facility for >14 days
What is medical care acquired pneumonia (MCAP)?
MCAP – three forms:
- Hospital-associated pneumonia (HAP) – 48 hours or greater after hospitalisation
- Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)
- Healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP)
What is the pathological course of pneumonia?
Inflammatory response causing either:
- Alveoli filled with fluid and debris (consolidation)
- Increased production of mucosa (airway obstruction)
Causing decreased gas exchange