Respiratory Nursing & Pulmonary Conditions Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, diagnostic tests, clinical signs, and surgical treatments for COPD, pneumothorax, flail chest, and lung cancer based on the lecture notes.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

A non-curable but controllable and preventable chronic condition comprising emphysema and chronic bronchitis, properly termed chronic airway/airflow limitation (CAL).

Alpha 1 Antitrypsin (A1A)

An enzyme lowered by malnutrition that controls elastase to increase elastin, thereby allowing proper lung stretching and elasticity.

Elastase

An enzyme controlled by A1A that erases elastin, leading to limited airway movement and expansion.

Elastin

An enzyme that enables elasticity and stretching of the respiratory tract.

Emphysema

A COPD condition referred to as 'pink puffer' or 'pink popper' primarily affecting the alveoli, characterized by loss of elasticity, surface area, and recoil, over-distended alveoli, and a barreled chest.

Bleb

A smaller over-distended alveolus present in emphysema.

Bullae

A larger over-distended alveolus present in emphysema.

Barreled Chest

The cardinal sign of emphysema due to hyperinflation of alveoli, characterized by a symmetrical AP diameter ratio of $2:2$ compared to the normal asymmetrical ratio of $1:2$.

Chronic Bronchitis

A COPD condition referred to as 'Blue Bloaters' or blockage primarily affecting the bronchus/bronchioles, characterized by airway inflammation, narrowing, mucus hardening, severe hypoxia, cyanosis, and edema.

Negative Room Pressure

An isolation room setup designed for infectious patients to protect the community by pulling air backward when coughing.

Reverse Isolation

A positive room pressure setup used for patients at high risk of infection (e.g., cancer, chemotherapy, steroids, burns, dialysis) to protect the patient.

Ventilation Perfusion Scan (VP Scan)

A diagnostic imaging test that utilizes radioactive dye to evaluate lung ventilation and blood flow.

Photoplethysmography

Another term for a pulse oximeter, used to measure $O_2$ saturation levels.

Peak Flow Meter

A diagnostic tool into which a patient blows to check pulmonary status and monitor air movement inside the lungs.

Spirometer

The gold standard diagnostic device used in Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT) to detect possible COPD (indicated by a result below $70$).

Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV)

The amount of air that exits the lungs following a normal inspiration.

Vital Capacity

The total volume of air that goes into and out of the lungs.

Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)

The forced total volume of air that goes into and out of the lungs.

Venturi Mask

An air entrainment mask considered the most accurate oxygen delivery system for COPD patients to prevent suppressing their hypoxic drive.

Hypoxic Drive

The breathing mechanism in COPD patients where respiration is triggered by low oxygen levels rather than high carbon dioxide levels.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

Also known as stiff lung or shock lung, an adverse effect caused by suppression of a COPD patient's hypoxic drive.

Closed Pneumothorax

Also called simple or spontaneous pneumothorax, it is the most common type of pneumothorax where the skin remains intact, commonly caused in emphysema by ruptured blebs/bullae, blunt trauma, or a fistula.

Fistula

An abnormal tunnel or passageway within body tissues.

Open Pneumothorax

A pneumothorax caused by an open chest cavity or penetrating trauma, characterized by a cardinal sucking or blowing sound.

Nosocomial Infection

An infection acquired by a patient while inside a hospital facility.

Iatrogenic Effect

A complication directly resulting from a medical treatment or procedure.

Tension Pneumothorax

The most life-threatening type of pneumothorax caused by trapped positive pressure in the pleural space, characterized by tracheal deviation and mediastinal shifting.

Thoracentesis

A temporary procedure guiding a needle into the 2nd or 3rd intercostal space under X-ray guidance to drain trapped positive pressure air from the pleural space.

Empyema

The collection of pus within the pleural space.

Orthopneic Position

An upright position leaning forward, utilized preoperatively/during thoracentesis for a conscious patient.

Flail Chest

A condition resulting from multiple rib fractures due to blunt trauma that leads to a loose chest wall and paradoxical breathing.

Paradoxical Breathing

The cardinal sign of flail chest in which the chest wall depletes during inhalation and bulges during exhalation.

Crepitation

A grating sound or sensation produced by friction between bone fragments in flail chest.

Adenocarcinoma

The most common histologic type of lung cancer.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The second most common histologic type of lung cancer.

Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)

A serum tumor marker used to detect adenocarcinoma as well as colorectal cancer.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen (SCC)

A serum tumor marker used to detect squamous cell carcinoma.

Excisional Biopsy

A biopsy technique involving complete removal of the entire lesion or tumor, performed when the tumor is less than $5\text{ cm}$.

Incisional Biopsy

A biopsy technique involving partial removal of a lesion or tumor, performed when the tumor is greater than $5\text{ cm}$.

Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA)

A biopsy technique aspirating cytoplasmic fluid from a tumor greater than $5\text{ cm}$, suitable for patients with bleeding disorders.

Frozen Section

A fast diagnostic biopsy method providing results in an average of $30\text{--}45\text{ minutes}$.

Paraffin Test

A detailed biopsy preparation technique providing accurate detail with an average duration of $48\text{--}22$.

Pneumonectomy

The complete surgical removal of an entire single lung.

Lobectomy

The surgical removal of one complete lobe of a lung.

Segmentectomy

The surgical removal of half of a lobe of a lung.

Wedge Resection

The surgical removal of a small portion of a lobe of a lung.