Chapter 15 - Medical Overview

What are indicators of a patent airway?

Clear speech, no stridor (high-piched noisy breathing), normal breathing

Signs of obstructions in the airway

Stridor, inability to speak

What are abnormal breath sounds? What do they sound like and indicate?

Stridor: high-pitched noisy breathing, narrow airway

Wheezing: narrowing of airways

Crackles (rales): fluid buildup, COPD, CHF, Pulmonary edema

Rhonchi: low-pitched gurgling/snoring, a problem with the large airways in lungs

What is the difference between labored and shallow breathing?

Labored breathing: increased effort to inhale and exhale, often using accessory muscles and potentially accompanied by other symptoms like wheezing or gasping.

Shallow breathing: rapid, short breaths that don't fully expand the lungs, potentially leading to reduced oxygen intake

palliating vs. provoking factors in patient complaints

Palliating factors relieve a patients symptoms whereas provoking factors make the symptoms worse.

How does inadequate breathing affect oxygenation and CO2 elimination?

If breathing is too shallow or slow, there is less oxygen available for absorption into the bloodstream. If too much CO2 builds up, it can displace the oxygen and allow even less oxygen to be delivered throughout the body.

What are the seven infectious diseases that have special concern?

• Flu

• HIV

• Hepatitis

• Meningitis

• TB

• MERS-CoV

• Covid19

• Ebola

What is a communicable disease?

A disease that can be spread from one person or species to another.

What is meningitis?

An inflammation of the meningeal coverings of the brain and spinal cord; it is usually caused by a virus or a bacterium.

What is meningococcal meningitis?

An inflammation of the meningeal coverings of the brain and spinal cord; can be highly contagious.

What is the Nature of Illness (NOI)

The general type of illness a patient is experiencing

What is TB?

A chronic bacterial disease, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, that usually affects the lungs but can also affect other organs such as the brain and kidneys; it is spread by cough and can lie dormant in a person’s lungs for decades and then reactivate.

What is virulence?

The strength or ability of a pathogen to produce disease.