Ch. 5 Pulmonology - Diseases (Medical Terminology)

upper respiratory infection (URI)

bacterial or viral infection of the nose and/or throat

• aka common cold

• treatment: antibiotic or antiviral drug

asthma

hyperreactivity of the bronchi and bronchioles where bronchospasms, which are triggered by environmental factors, narrow the lumen of the bronchi and bronchioles, thus causing shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and difficulty exhaling

• treatment: inhaled bronchodilator drug for mild attacks, oxygen for severe attacks

bronchiectatis

permanent enlargement and loss of elasticity in the bronchioles

• large amounts of mucus formation = frequent coughing

• common in those with cystic fibrosis

• treatment: bronchodilator drug, oxygen therapy

bronchitis

infection or inflammation of the bronchi

• acute bronchitis is due to infection or virus

  • producing+coughing up mucus, wheezing, fever

• chronic bronchitis is due to smoking or air pollution

  • constant coughing, mucus production, wheezing

• treatment: bronchodilator drug; corticosteriod for inflammation, antibiotic drug for bacterial infection

reactive airway disease

characterized by reversible narrowing of airway lumens with wheezing

• related to asthma, URI’s, or other external factors

abnormal breath sounds

normal breathing sounds like wind rushing though a tunnel

acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

condition when many alveoli become damaged and fill with fluid

atelectasis

incomplete expansion of part or all of a lung

• aka collapsed lung

• caused by mucus, a tumor, trauma, or a foreign object that blocks the bronchus

• treatment: insert chest tube to reinflate lung, correct underlying cause

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema

• cause: chronic exposure to air pollution or smoking

• treatment: bronchodilator or corticosteroid drug, oxygen therapy

cystic fibrosis (CF)

hereditary disease caused by a recessive gene that effects exocrine cells that secrete mucus, digestive enzymes, or sweat

• constant coughing, frequent bacterial infection in lungs, clubbing of fingers due to lack of oxygen, etc

empyema

collection of pus in the thoracic cavity

• aka pyothorax

• treatment: antibiotic drug, surgery to drain pus

emphysema

irreversibly damaged alveoli that are enlarged and trap air in the lungs