Respiratory Disorders and Management Flashcards

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key definitions, clinical manifestations, and management protocols for respiratory disorders including asthma, hyperventilation, and heart failure based on Seminar 2.

Anoxia

No oxygen.

Apnea

No respiratory movements.

Dyspnea

Sense of shortness of breath.

Hypernea

Greater than normal minute ventilation just meeting metabolic demands.

Hyperventilation

Ventilation that exceeds metabolic demands, specifically an increase in frequency and/or depth of respiration.

Hypoventilation

Ventilation that does not meet metabolic demands.

Hypoxia

Deficiency of oxygen in inspired air.

Orthopnea

Inability to breathe except in upright position.

Tachypnea

Greater than normal respiratory rate.

Torr

Unit of pressure equal to $1\,mm$ of $Hg$.

Ventilation

Volume of air exchanged per minute.

Primary factor in airway obstruction

The tongue is the primary factor which produces airway obstruction during loss of consciousness.

Stress

The major factor which leads to acute exacerbation of respiratory disorders.

Peritonitis

Inflammation in the lining of the abdomen, which can be a complication of swallowed objects.

Right bronchus

The probable location of an object that has entered the trachea.

Universal sign of airway obstruction

The patient grabs their throat.

Poor air exchange signs

Weak cough, high pitched "crowing" sound, increased respiratory difficulty, ashen-gray skin, and cyanosis of nail beds and mucous membranes.

Tracheotomy

A surgical procedure employed for long-term airway maintenance; not well suited for emergency airways.

Cricothyrotomy

The preferred method for establishing emergency airways because it is easier, quicker, and results in fewer complications.

Respiratory alkalosis

An increase in the pH of the blood caused by the excessive "blowing off" of carbon dioxide during hyperventilation.

Hypocapnia

Reduced $PaCO_2$ to an abnormally low level, which can lead to dizziness and increased coronary artery vascular resistance.

Carpopedal tetany

A clinical manifestation of hyperventilation characterized by muscular twitching or spasms in the hands and feet.

Extrinsic asthma

Also known as allergic asthma, it is common in children and young adults and involves a Type I hypersensitivity reaction with $IgE$ antibodies.

Intrinsic asthma

Nonallergic, idiopathic, or infective asthma that usually affects adults over 35.

Status asthmaticus

The most severe clinical form of asthma; a true medical emergency that is not responsive to usual therapy.

Left heart failure

A pathophysiologic state associated with pulmonary vascular congestion, often manifesting as dyspnea, orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea.

Right heart failure

A state associated with systemic venous and capillary engorgement, characterized by peripheral edema, cyanosis, and prominent jugular veins.

Acute pulmonary edema

An acute condition marked by excess serous fluid in alveolar spaces or lung tissues, characterized by a feeling of suffocation and frothy, pink sputum.