Comprehensive Pulmonary and Upper Respiratory Disorders Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, diagnostic tests, treatments, and anatomical structures across 5 pulmonary and upper respiratory lecture sources.

Pulmonary Embolism

The sudden blockage of one or more pulmonary arteries, most commonly caused by a blood clot (thrombus) that has traveled from deep veins in the legs or pelvis.

Thrombotic Pulmonary Embolism

The most common type of pulmonary embolism, where a blood clot arising from deep vein thrombosis (DVT) obstructs a pulmonary artery.

Virchow's Triad

The three major factors contributing to venous thrombosis: venous stasis, endothelial injury, and hypercoagulability (mnemonic: S-I-C).

CT Pulmonary Angiography (CTPA)

The gold standard diagnostic imaging modality in stable patients to visualize emboli within the pulmonary arteries.

Catheter-Directed Mechanical Thrombectomy

A minimally invasive medical procedure used to remove dangerous blood clots using suction aspiration, mechanical disruption, or targeted medication delivery with less bleeding risk than systemic thrombolysis.

Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) Filter

A small metal device implanted in the body's largest vein to catch blood clots and prevent them from traveling to the lungs, typically used when anticoagulants are contraindicated or fail.

Pneumothorax

The presence of air inside the pleural space, leading to a loss of negative intrapleural pressure and causing partial or complete collapse of the lung.

Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax

A type of pneumothorax occurring without trauma or known underlying lung disease, often due to the rupture of apical blebs in tall, thin young adults.

Tension Pneumothorax

A life-threatening medical emergency where air enters the pleural space during inspiration but cannot escape, causing progressive pressure buildup, complete lung collapse, mediastinal shift, compression of the vena cava, and cardiovascular collapse.

Chest Needle Decompression

An emergency medical intervention utilizing a large-gauge hollow needle with a catheter sleeve inserted into the chest cavity to release trapped air in a tension pneumothorax.

Pleurodesis

A surgical or chemical procedure using an irritant (such as talc) to fuse the visceral and parietal pleural layers together to prevent recurrent pneumothorax.

Surfactant

A lipoprotein complex in the alveoli that reduces surface tension, prevents alveolar collapse at the end of expiration, and improves lung compliance.

Tidal Volume (TV)

The volume of air inhaled or exhaled during a normal, quiet breath, typically measuring approximately $500\,mL$.

Residual Volume (RV)

The volume of air remaining in the lungs after maximal forced expiration (approximately $1,200\,mL$) that prevents complete alveolar collapse.

Vital Capacity (VC)

The maximum volume of air that can be exhaled after a maximal inspiration, equal to $IRV + TV + ERV$ (approximately $4,600\,mL$).

Mucociliary Escalator

A protective mechanism in which cilia continuously move mucus and trapped foreign particles upward toward the pharynx for expulsion or swallowing.

Epistaxis

Bleeding from the nose caused by the rupture of tiny, distended blood vessels in the mucous membranes.

Kiesselbach's Plexus

A vascular network in the anterior nasal septum that serves as the origin point for approximately $90\%$ of anterior epistaxis cases.

Woodruff's Plexus

A venous plexus located in the posterior nasal cavity originating from branches of the sphenopalatine artery, which is a common site for posterior epistaxis.

Trotter's Method

First aid position for anterior epistaxis where the patient sits upright, leans forward slightly, and pinches the soft part of the nose for $10–15\text{ minutes}$ while breathing through the mouth.

Sinusitis

Inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the paranasal sinuses, categorized as acute if lasting less than 4 weeks, or chronic if lasting greater than 12 weeks.

Pott's Puffy Tumor

A serious complication of untreated frontal sinusitis characterized by osteomyelitis of the frontal bone and soft tissue swelling.

Peritonsillar Abscess (Quinsy)

A severe complication of acute tonsillitis in which pus collects beside the palatine tonsil, causing severe throat pain, trismus, and a characteristic "hot potato voice."

Tonsilloliths

Calcified debris accumulation within the tonsillar crypts resulting from chronic tonsillitis, leading to halitosis and foreign body sensation.

Pulmonary Edema

An acute or chronic accumulation of excess fluid inside the lung interstitium and alveoli, severely impairing gas exchange and leading to hypoxemia.

Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema

Pulmonary edema caused by elevated pulmonary capillary hydrostatic pressure secondary to left-sided heart dysfunction (e.g., LSHF, acute MI).

Non-Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema

Pulmonary edema resulting from increased permeability of the alveolar-capillary membrane (e.g., ARDS, sepsis), allowing protein-rich fluid to leak into alveoli despite normal cardiac pressures.

Pink, Frothy Sputum

The classic, cardinal sign of severe pulmonary edema caused by fluid and red blood cells leaking from high-pressure capillaries into airways.

BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure)

A non-invasive mechanical ventilation mode delivering two distinct levels of pressure: Inspiratory Positive Airway Pressure (IPAP) during inhalation and Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure (EPAP) during exhalation.

Ultrafiltration

A pressure-driven extracorporeal medical process used to mechanically remove excess fluid directly from the bloodstream in diuretic-resistant patients with severe volume overload.