Week 12 - GAS EXCHANGE & RESPIRATORY

Ischemia

Limited blood flow to tissues causing oxygen shortage

Anoxia

Complete absence of oxygen to tissues

Pneumonia

Infection causing inflammation and fluid in the alveoli

Consolidation

Alveoli filled with fluid or pus; lung tissue becomes solid

Atelectasis

Collapse of alveoli leading to reduced gas exchange

Hypoxia

Low oxygen at the tissue or cellular level

Hypoxemia

Low oxygen level in arterial blood (decreased PaO2)

Wheezing

High-pitched whistling sound from narrowed airways

Dyspnea

Subjective feeling of difficulty or discomfort in breathing

Bronchitis

Inflammation of bronchi with cough and increased mucus

Spacer

Device attached to an inhaler to improve medication delivery to lungs

Emphysema

Destruction of alveoli causing air trapping and hyperinflation

Hypercapnic

Describing a state of high carbon dioxide levels in the blood

Stridor

High-pitched inspiratory sound from upper airway obstruction; emergency sign

COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with irreversible airflow limitation

Exacerbation

Acute worsening of chronic respiratory symptoms

Silent Chest

No audible air movement in severe asthma; life-threatening

ABGs

Arterial blood gases that measure oxygenation, ventilation, and pH

Hyperventilation

Fast or deep breathing that lowers PaCO2 and can cause respiratory alkalosis

Hypoventilation

Reduced breathing that raises PaCO2 and can cause respiratory acidosis

Hemoptysis

Coughing up blood from the respiratory tract

Orthopnea

Difficulty breathing when lying flat; relieved by sitting up

Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea

Sudden episodes of severe breathlessness at night that wake the patient

Barrel chest

Increased anterior–posterior chest diameter from chronic air trapping

Bronchial breath sounds

Loud, high-pitched breath sounds; normal over trachea, abnormal over lung fields

Bronchovesicular breath sounds

Medium-pitch breath sounds heard over main bronchi

Vesicular breath sounds

Soft, low-pitched breath sounds heard over peripheral lung fields

Adventitious sounds

Abnormal breath sounds such as crackles, wheezes, or stridor

Crackles

Discontinuous popping sounds from fluid in or opening of collapsed alveoli

Tachypnea

Abnormally rapid respiratory rate (more than 20 breaths per minute)

Bradypnea

Abnormally slow respiratory rate (less than 12 breaths per minute)

Cheyne-Stokes respiration

Cyclic pattern of gradually deeper then shallower breathing followed by apnea

Hypercapnia

Elevated carbon dioxide level in arterial blood (increased PaCO2)

PaCO2

Partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood; normal 35–45 mmHg

Kussmaul respiration

Deep, rapid breathing seen in metabolic acidosis such as diabetic ketoacidosis