Week 4 Flashcards
(20 cards)
What can respiratory disorders be due to?
- Infection
- Trauma
- Cancer
- Degenerative disease
- Pollutants (including smoking)
How can respiratory disorders be categorised?
- Obstructive
- Restrictive
Describe Bronchitis
- Can be classified either acute or chronic.
- Acute bronchitis is defined as acute bacterial or viral infection of the larger airways in healthy patients with no history of recurrent disease
What is COPD?
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - The chronic and obstructive airflow in the pulmonary airways - Is progressive - May cause airway hyperresponsiveness Includes: - Emphysema - Chronic Bronchitis - Asbestosis
What is the pathophysiology of Emphysema?
- Destructive of alveolar walls and capillary beds - breakdown of alveolar walls tissues by enzymes produced by inflammatory cells
- Loss of lung elasticity
- Causes hyperinflation of lungs and loss of surface area available for gas exchange
Causes: - Smoking
- Hereditary - deficiency of protective lung enzyme
List the signs and symptoms of emphysema
- Increased respiratory rate
- Use of accessory muscles to breathe
- Pursed lip breathing
- Barrel chest
- Weight loss
What is the pathophysiology of Chronic Bronchitis?
- Caused by chronic irritation (e.g. from smoking) and recurrent infections
- Hypersecretion of mucus - enlargement of submucosal glands in the trachea and bronchi
- Bronchi and bronchioles become inflamed and fibrosed
List the signs and symptoms of chronic bronchitis
- Progressive decrease in exercise tolerance
- Shortness of breath, laboured breathing
- Hypoxaemia, hypercapnia, cyanosis
- Peripheral oedema
What nursing management is applicable to COPD?
Treatment is mainly supportive
- Supplemental oxygen, NIPPV, medication
- Social support
- Chest physio
- Patient education
- Avoid respiratory infections - i.e. immunise
- Encourage good nutrition and hygiene
What pharmacological management is involved with COPD?
- Oxygen
- Bronchodilators
- Anti-inflammatories
- Antibiotics
- Antipyrexials
- Cough suppressants
What is the pathophysiology of a pneumothorax?
- Normal pleural space contains no air, just a small amount of fluid
- Air enter the pleural cavity - this is a pneumothorax
- Air takes up restricting lung expansion
- Partial or complete collapse of the affected lung
What are the four types of pneumothorax?
- Tension
- Spontaneous
- Open
- Tension
Describe a spontaneous pneumothorax
an air-filled blister on the lungs ruptures
Describe a traumatic pneumothorax
Air enters through the chest injuries
- Fractured ribs may penetrate pleura
- Fractured trachea or bronchi, or rupture of the oesphagus
- Medical procedures e.g. intubation
- Infection - e.g. TB or pneumonia
Describe an open pneumothorax
Air enters the pleural cavity through the wound on inhalation and leaves on exhalation
Describe a tension pneumothorax
Air enters pleural cavity through the wound on inhalation but cannot escape on exhalation - forms a one-way valve
List the signs and symptoms of a pneumothorax
- Tachypnoea and dyspnoea
- Tachycardia
- Hypoxia
- Hypotension
- Ipslateral (same side) chest pain
- Asymmetrical chest movement
What is the nursing management associated with a pneumothorax?
- Observation and monitoring
- Respiratory support
- Pain relief
- Oxygen
- Mouth care
- Intercostal catheter
What is a pleural effusion?
- The presence of excess fluid in the pleural space
- Fluid accumulates in the space between the layers of pleura due to:
- > Transudative Pleural effusion - caused by fluid leaking into the pleural space. Caused by an increased pressure in the blood vessels or a low blood protein count
- > Exudative Effusions - caused by blocked blood vessels or lymph vessels, inflammation, lung injury and tumours
Describe the pathophysiology of an empyema
- Infected pleural effusion
- Presence of pus in the pleural cavity
- Usually develops as a complication of pneumonia, surgery, trauma
