Health Assessment Lecture - Vocab - Week 3

accessory muscles

Muscles that sometimes assist in breathing

- scalene muscles

- sternocleidomastoid

- deep muscles of the neck and thorax

- posterior neck and back muscles

- pectoralis major

- pectoralis minor

- abdominal muscles

adventitious

extraneous, irregular breath sounds

- crackles, wheezes, rhonchi, &pleural friction rub

anterior-posterior diameter

the measurement of the chest from the front (anterior/sternum) to the back (posterior/spine)

asthma

hyperreactive airway disease characterized by bronchoconstriction, airway obstruction, and inflammation

- Symptoms: dyspnea & tightness in the chest

- Signs: tachycardia, tachypnea with prolonged expiration, audible wheezes, the use of accessory muscles, and cough

- Expiratory and occasionally inspiratory wheezes and diminished breath sounds are common findings

auscultate

the act of listening to sounds arising within organs

asymmetry

a lack of balance or a difference in size, shape, or function between the left and right sides of the body

- Unilateral or unequal movement of thumbs suggests asymmetry of expansion

barrel chest

chest wall may have a barrel chest appearance because of an increased AP diameter

- The ribs are more horizontal, and the chest looks as if it is held in constant inspiration

- sometimes the costal angles are increased

- often found in emphysema patients

bradypnea

abnormally slow breathing

breathing effort

the energy consumed by your respiratory muscles—like your diaphragm—to pull air into and push it out of your lungs

bronchial

characteristic of breath sounds

- high pitch

- loud intensity

- lasts longer during expiration

- location: over trachea

- abnormal location: over peripheral lung fields

acute bronchitis

inflammation of the mucous membranes of the bronchial tree

- symptoms: sore ribs from coughing fits

- signs: cough, sputum (yellow & green)

- Rhonchi heard on auscultation & wheezing heard after coughing

chronic bronchitis

hypersecretion of mucus by the goblet cells of the trachea and bronchi, resulting in a productive cough that lasts at least 3 months in two successive years

- Symptoms: productive cough (the first symptom), chronic mucus production, dyspnea (initially associated with exercise and ultimately at rest), and the presence of risk factors (cigarette smoking, genetic factors, lung growth and development)

- Findings: rhonchi, sometimes cleared by coughing, cyanosis, and clubbing of nails

bronchovesicular

breath sound

- moderate pitch

- medium intensity

- duration is same for insp. & exp.

- location: First & second intercostal spaces at sternal border anteriorly; posteriorly at T4 medial to scapula

- abnormal location: Over peripheral lung fields

chest expansion

a clinical measurement of the difference in chest circumference between a full exhalation and a full inhalation

- used to evaluate chest wall mobility and respiratory function

cough

to expel air from the lungs suddenly with a sharp, short noise

crackles

adventitious sound previously called rales

- Fine, high-pitched crackling and popping noises (discontinuous sounds) heard during inspiration and sometimes during expiration

- not cleared by cough or altered by changes in body position

- heard in pneumonia, heart failure, and restrictive pulmonary diseases

crepitus

crackly sensation under your fingers (from bones or tissues rubbing up against each other)

cyanosis

pallor of the nails, skin, or lips

- sign of inadequate oxygenation of tissues caused by an underlying respiratory or cardiovascular condition

expiration

the act or process of releasing air from the lungs through the nose or mouth

inspiration

the drawing of air into the lungs

intensity

how loud something is

kussmaul's

deep, rapid, and labored breathing pattern that signals a life-threatening medical emergency caused by dangerous acid buildup in the blood

occupational hazards

hazards that threaten workers' physical and mental well-being through daily patient care and medical environments

orthopnea

difficulty breathing when the individual is lying down

pectus carinatum

aka pigeon chest

chest wall condition that causes the breastbone and ribs to push outward

pectus excavatum

aka funnel chest

congenital chest wall deformity where the breastbone (sternum) and ribs grow inward, creating a sunken appearance

pitch

How high or low a sound is

pleural friction rub

adventitious sound

- Superficial, low-pitched, coarse rubbing or grating sound (sounds like two surfaces rubbing together)

- heard throughout inspiration and expiration

- loudest over the lower anterolateral surface

- not cleared by cough

- Heard in individuals with pleurisy (inflammation of the pleural surfaces) or with pericarditis

pneumothorax

Air in the pleural spaces (can result in collapsed lung)

- closed, open, & tension

pursed lip breathing

a simple exercise that slows your breathing rate, keeps your airways open longer, and helps release trapped air from your lungs

respiratory/ventilation cycle

one complete sequence of inspiration (inhalation) and expiration (exhalation) that moves air into and out of the lungs

retraction

chest retraction appears when intercostal muscles are drawn inward between the ribs and indicates airway obstruction that may occur during asthma attack or pneumonia

rhonchi

adventitious sound

- aka sonorous wheeze

- Low-pitched, coarse, loud, low snoring or moaning tone

- heard primarily during expiration but may also be heard during inspiration

- coughing may clear

- Heard in disorders causing obstruction of the trachea or bronchus such as bronchitis or COPD

tachypnea

abnormally rapid breathing, increased rate of respiration

tripod position

- enhances accessory muscle use

- observed in patients that are short of breath

shortness of breath

aka dyspnea

- occurs when breathing becomes difficult

- difficult or labored respiration

vesicular

breath sound

- low pitch, soft intensity

- inspiration lasts longer

- location: peripheral lung fields

- no abnormal location

wheezes

adventitious sound

- aka sibilant wheeze

- High-pitched, musical sound similar to a squeak

- heard more commonly during expiration but may also be heard during inspiration

- occurs in small airways

- Heard in airway diseases when the thickness of airways increases such as asthma