Respiratory and Fluid-Electrolyte Nursing Review

Flashcards covering respiratory disorders (Asthma, COPD, PE, TB), surgical complications, and fluid/electrolyte imbalances based on academic nursing lecture notes.

Asthma

A chronic inflammatory lung disease causing airway narrowing, inflammation, and excessive mucus production, leading to wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.

Silent Chest

An ominous clinical sign in asthma indicating a severe obstruction where airflow is so limited that wheezing is absent, signaling impending respiratory failure.

Airway Hyperresponsiveness

A characteristic of asthma where the lungs react to minor triggers (allergens, cold air, stress) with bronchoconstriction.

SABA (Short-Acting Beta-Agonist)

A category of medications such as albuterol used for acute relief of asthma symptoms.

Acute Bronchiectasis

A sudden worsening characterized by permanent dilation and destruction of the bronchi, often producing large amounts of thick, foul-smelling sputum.

Fluticasone

A corticosteroid nasal spray used to treat allergy symptoms or inhaled for long-term asthma maintenance; it can cause nosebleeds due to vasodilation.

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

A progressive lung disease, primarily caused by irritants like smoking, that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Emphysema

A condition involving damage to the walls of the alveoli, resulting in air trapping, shortness of breath, and a barrel chest appearance.

DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)

A blood clot forming in a deep vein, most often in the lower extremities like the popliteal or superficial femoral veins.

Virchow's Triad

The three factors that lead to DVT: stasis of venous circulation, endothelial injury, and hypercoagulability.

Homan's Sign

Pain in the calf with dorsiflexion, which is an unreliable screening tool for DVT.

Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

A life-threatening complication of DVT where a clot travels to the pulmonary arteries, causing acute dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain, and tachypnea.

ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome)

A life-threatening lung condition where fluid builds up in the alveoli, causing severe hypoxemia that does not improve with oxygen therapy.

Exudative Stage

The initial stage of ARDS characterized by fluid accumulation and inflammation in the alveoli.

Fibrotic Stage

The stage of ARDS involving the formation of scar tissue in the lungs, which may prolong the need for mechanical ventilation.

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

The bacterium that causes TB, spread via airborne droplets and requiring a negative-pressure room and N95 respirator.

Laryngectomy

A surgical procedure to remove part or all of the larynx (voice box), resulting in the patient breathing through a stoma in the neck.

Chronic Bronchitis

A form of COPD known as "blue bloater," defined by a chronic productive cough for at least $3$ months in $2$ consecutive years.

Wound Dehiscence

A surgical complication occurring $5-10$ days post-op where an incision partially or completely reopens, often preceded by a "pop" sensation.

Evisceration

A medical emergency where internal organs protrude through a dehisced surgical incision.

Respiratory Alkalosis

A clinical condition where arterial $pH > 7.45$ and $PaCO_2 < 35\,mmHg$, typically caused by hyperventilation.

Dehydration

A fluid volume deficit characterized by weight loss, dry mucous membranes, and elevated hematocrit, BUN, and urine specific gravity.

Hypervolemia

Fluid volume excess (FVE) caused by the retention of sodium and water, leading to symptoms like JVD, crackles, and weight gain.

Thiazide Diuretics

Medications that block sodium reabsorption in the distal tubule by $5-10\%$; used for mild-to-moderate fluid volume excess.

Loop Diuretics

High-potency medications like furosemide that block sodium reabsorption in the loop of Henle by $20-30\%$.

Anasarca

Severe, generalized edema throughout the body.

Ascites

The accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity, commonly associated with cirrhosis or nephrotic syndrome.

SNS (Sympathetic Nervous System)

The division of the autonomic nervous system responsible for the "fight-or-flight" response, including increased heart rate and bronchodilation.

Hypocalcemia

A condition with serum calcium levels below $8.5\,mg/dL$, characterized by tetany, muscle cramps, and hyperactive reflexes.

Chvostek's Sign

A clinical sign of hypocalcemia where tapping the facial nerve leads to facial twitching.

Trousseau's Sign

A clinical sign of hypocalcemia where carpal spasm is induced by inflating a blood pressure cuff above systolic pressure.