Airway & Breathing Flashcards
(34 cards)
What makes people breathless?
Pain, exercise, obesity, exercise, genetics, smoking
Name 5 common respiratory conditions?
Chest Infection Pneumonia Emphysema Dyspnoea Respiratory failure Asthma COPD PE TB Bhronchiectasis Bhronchitis CF
What is Kussmaul breathing?
Kussmaul breathing is a deep and labored breathing pattern often associated with severe metabolic acidosis, particularly diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) but also kidney failure
What is dyspnoea
Difficulty in breathing
What is orthopnoea
Difficulty in breathing when lying down
Signs of dyspnoea
Orthopnoea – DIB Lying down
Use of accessory muscles
Nasal Flaring
Head bobbing (Children)
What is cheyne-stokes breathing?
an abnormal pattern of breathing characterized by progressively deeper, and sometimes faster, breathing followed by a gradual decrease that results in a temporary stop in breathing called an apnea. The pattern repeats, with each cycle usually taking 30 seconds to 2 minutes
What is Stridor?
High pitched noise on inspiration or expiration, indicates a disturbance to the airflow in the upper respiratory tract
What is stertor?
Snoring during sleep or altered consciousness
What is a wheeze?
Whistling heard on expiration, indicates resistance to airflow in lower respiratory tract
What is a rattle?
Heard on inspiration and expiration, associated with secretions in the lower respiratory tract (death rattle!)
How would you position the breathless patient?
Upright position chair/bed
Leaning over pillow placed on hospital table (orthopneic position)
What is asthma?
Chronic inflammatory disease of the airways
Causes hyper-responsiveness, mucosal oedema and mucous production
Allergy is the strongest predisposing factor
Inflammation leads to cough, chest tightness, wheezing and dyspnoea
What is Status Asthmaticus?
medical emergency where symptoms do not respond to bronchodilators (aggressive treatment/ventilation/ICU)
What is Type I respiratory failure?
Type I respiratory failure involves low O2, and normal or low CO2
Occurs because of damage to lung tissue. Lung damage prevents adequate oxygenation of the blood (hypoxaemia); however, the remaining normal lung is still sufficient to excrete the CO2 being produced by tissue metabolism. This is possible because less functioning lung tissue is required for CO2 excretion than is needed for oxygenation of the blood.
What is Type II respiratory failure?
Type II respiratory failure involves low O2, with high CO2
‘Ventilatory failure’ - occurs when alveolar ventilation is insufficient to excrete the CO2 being produced. Inadequate ventilation is due to reduced ventilatory effort, or inability to overcome increased resistance to ventilation – it affects the lung as a whole, and thus CO2 accumulates. Complications: damage to vital organs due to hypoxaemia, CNS depression due to increased CO2 levels, respiratory acidosis (CO2 retention). This is ultimately fatal unless treated.
List causes of Type I respiratory failure?
disease that damage lung tissue, including pulmonary oedema, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and chronic pulmonary fibrosing alveoloitis
List causes of Type II respiratory failure?
COPD, chest-wall deformities, respiratory muscle weakness (e.g. Guillain-Barre syndrome) and central depression of the respiratory centre (e.g. heroin overdose).
What is subjective data in respiratory assessment?
Subjective is that the patient (the subject) tells us. So these are the things we cant see/verify with our own eyes.
Pain
Shortness of breath
Feelings
What the pt says “I can’t breathe” “I’m exhausted”
Past health Hx
Family health Hx
What is objective data in respiratory assessments?
Objective = measurable, can see with our own eyes Age/gender RR HR SpO2 IPPA BP Diaphoresis/Pale ECG (e.g. showing sinus tachycardia) Accessory muscle use, nasal flaring etc Pursed lip breathing/tripod position
What are the normal ABG values?
pH 7.35-7.45 paCO2 35-45mmHg paO2 80-100mmHg HCO3 22-26mmol/l BE +/- 2mmol
What causes respiratory acidosis?
Alveolar hypoventilation
Inadequate perfusion
Mechanical ventilation
What diseases cause alveolar hypoventilation?
COPD Obesity hypoventilation syndrome Chest wall deformities Neuromuscular disorders Central alveolar hypotension
What diseases cause inadequate perfusion?
Shock - cardiogenic, hypovoleamia
