Respiratory Nursing Care and Interventions

This flashcard set covers respiratory nursing diagnoses, preventative measures for infections like influenza and SARS-CoV-2, smoking cessation stages, airway management techniques (coughing, breathing, chest PT), oxygen therapy, and artificial airways.

Ineffective Airway Clearance

A respiratory nursing diagnosis involving the inability to clear secretions or obstructions from the respiratory tract to maintain a clear airway.

Impaired Gas Exchange

A respiratory nursing diagnosis characterized by an excess or deficit in oxygenation and/or carbon dioxide elimination at the alveolar-capillary membrane.

SARS-CoV-2

Serious acute respiratory coronavirus-2, a species of coronavirus discovered in 2019 that initiated a worldwide pandemic.

State-of-change theory

A framework for understanding the five stages of changing an addictive habit, such as smoking: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, and Maintenance.

Peak flow meter

A handheld device used to measure the highest flow during maximal expiration to monitor airway diameter and prevent acute asthma attacks.

Green zone

$80\%$ to $100\%$ of a patient's personal best peak flow, indicating asthma is well controlled.

Yellow zone

$50\%$ to $80\%$ of a patient's personal best peak flow, indicating asthma is not well controlled and the treatment plan may need adjustment.

Red zone

A peak flow measurement below $50\%$ of personal best, requiring immediate use of a fast-acting beta2 agonist and contact with a healthcare provider.

Splinting the incision

The technique of holding a pillow firmly against the abdomen or chest during deep breathing or coughing to minimize pain in postoperative or trauma patients.

Incentive spirometry

A device that provides a visual indicator for deep breathing, typically performed $8$ to $10$ times hourly during waking hours to prevent atelectasis.

Stacked cough

The release of several short blasts of air instead of one deep cough to minimize pain and airway collapse.

Low-flow (Huff) cough

A technique used primarily for patients with COPD where the patient says "huff" three or four times while exhaling to expel secretions without collapsing the airways.

Quad cough

A manual assisted cough technique for patients with neuromuscular disease where the nurse pushes quickly in and upward just below the rib cage during exhalation.

Pursed-lip breathing

Exhaling slowly through nearly closed lips to create back pressure that keeps airways open and prevents air trapping in patients with COPD or asthma.

Chest physiotherapy

A group of therapies including percussion, vibration, and postural drainage designed to shake mucus from airway walls and facilitate drainage.

Oscillatory PEP therapy

A therapy combining positive expiratory pressure (PEP) with oscillations to vibrate the airways and open peripheral alveoli.

Postural drainage

The use of gravity and specific body positions to facilitate the movement of secretions from different segments of the lung toward larger airways.

Metered-dose inhaler (MDI)

A gas-powered, cartridge-type nebulizer that provides a premeasured dose of aerosolized medication.

Dry powder inhaler (DPI)

A breath-activated device that delivers medication to the lungs in the form of a dry powder, requiring a minimum respiratory effort for proper delivery.

Oxygen toxicity

Damage to lung tissue that can occur when severely ill patients are exposed to high oxygen concentrations for extended periods.

Nonrebreather mask

A reservoir-type oxygen mask that reduces rebreathing of $CO_2$ and requires an oxygen flow rate of $12$ to $15\,LPM$.

High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC)

A device that delivers high concentrations of oxygen at flow rates up to $60\,L/min$ at increased pressure to keep airways from collapsing.

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure)

The use of oxygen under constant pressure to treat atelectasis or manage periodic hypoxemia associated with sleep apnea.

Tracheostomy

An artificial airway consisting of a plastic tube surgically implanted below the larynx into the trachea.

Fenestrated tracheostomy tube

A tracheostomy tube with holes in the outer cannula that allows the patient to speak when the tube is plugged.

Yankauer suction tube

A tonsil-tip suction device used to evacuate excess saliva and thick mucus from the back of the throat.

Water seal chamber

The component of a chest drainage system that allows air and fluid to exit the pleural space while preventing air from re-entering as the patient inspires.

Pneumothorax

A collapse of the lung, often resulting from injury or surgery, involving the entry of air into the pleural space.

Manual resuscitation bag

An emergency device used to provide ventilation, typically at a rate of $16$ to $20$ breaths per minute for an adult.

Oxygen concentrator

A device used at home that chemically separates oxygen from room air, ideal for patients requiring continuous low-concentration oxygen.