Respiratory A&P
These microscopic structures are surrounded by capillaries and are a primary site of pulmonary gas exchange.
What are the alveoli?
This high-pitched, whistling sound occurs when air is forced through narrowed airways.
What is wheezing?
This obstructive airway disease causes widespread but reversible narrowing of the airways.
What is asthma?
Fever, increased sputum production, abnormal sputum color, cough, and abnormal breath sounds may point toward this pulmonary infection.
What is pneumonia?
These medications relax smooth muscle surrounding larger bronchi and are the primary treatment for bronchospasm in asthma.
What are bronchodilators?
This structure is the ridgelike point where the trachea bifurcates into the right and left mainstem bronchi.
What is the carina?
This harsh, high-pitched sound heard primarily during inhalation indicates narrowing of the upper airway.
What is stridor?
This breathing technique helps patients with obstructive lung disease exhale slowly under controlled pressure.
What is pursed-lip breathing?
Sudden dyspnea, possible sharp chest pain, cyanosis that may not resolve with oxygen, and initially normal breath sounds can occur with this condition.
What is a pulmonary embolism?
This noninvasive monitoring device estimates the percentage of hemoglobin with oxygen attached but cannot reliably distinguish oxyhemoglobin from carboxyhemoglobin.
What is a pulse oximeter?
This term describes the amount of air moved in and out of the lungs each minute and is calculated by multiplying respiratory rate by tidal volume.
What is minute ventilation?
These discontinuous sounds may occur when smaller or larger airways snap open and are commonly associated with fluid or consolidation.
What are crackles?
This severe, prolonged asthma attack does not resolve with conventional treatment and represents a dire medical emergency.
What is status asthmaticus?
Air collecting between the visceral and parietal pleura causes this condition.
What is a pneumothorax?
In asthma, these medications are used to treat bronchial edema but may take several hours to have an effect.
What are corticosteroids?
When ventilation is inadequate, carbon dioxide accumulates, causing this acid-base disturbance.
What is respiratory acidosis?
A patient leaning forward with the scapulae rotated outward in an attempt to improve breathing is assuming this position.
What is the tripod position?
Asthma commonly involves these three pathologic problems: bronchospasm, bronchial edema, and this excessive substance that can plug distal airways.
What is mucus?
Pink-tinged watery sputum and crackles that begin in the lung bases and progress upward are associated with this condition.
What is pulmonary edema?
This positive-pressure respiratory intervention can stent the airway, help inflate alveoli, and reduce preload and afterload in pulmonary edema.
What is noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation, such as CPAP/BPAP?
Chronic lung disease and chronic hypoxia can increase red blood cell production, eventually increasing pulmonary vascular resistance and contributing to this form of right-sided heart failure.
What is cor pulmonale?
In a patient whose respiratory distress is worsening, this auscultatory finding can be more ominous than loud wheezing because it indicates that the patient may no longer be moving enough air to ventilate the lungs.
What are absent or severely diminished breath sounds?
Destruction of terminal bronchiolar structures, merging of alveoli into bullae, loss of gas-exchange surface area, and air trapping during exhalation characterize this COPD condition.
What is emphysema?
Diffuse alveolar damage following conditions such as shock, aspiration, pulmonary edema, barotrauma, or a hypoxic event may produce this syndrome in which the alveoli become stiff andWhat is acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS? difficult to ventilate.
What is acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS?
A patient with respiratory distress suddenly develops severe deterioration consistent with a tension pneumothorax. This immediate procedure is typically indicated to relieve the increasing intrathoracic pressure.
What is needle decompression?