respiratory

  • Abnormal breathing sounds - Abnormal sounds or noises heard over the lungs and airways, commonly leading to a diagnosis of a respiratory or cardiac condition; also called adventitious breath sounds

  • Crackle - Intermittent sounds caused by exudates, spasms, hyperplasia, or when air enters moisture-filled alveoli; also called rale

  • Rhonchus - Continuous sound heard during inspiration and expiration caused by secretions in the larger airways and commonly resembling snoring

  • Stridor - High-pitched, harsh sound caused by a spasm or swelling of the larynx or an obstruction in the upper airway

  • Wheeze - Whistling or sighing that results from narrowing of the lumen of the respiratory passageway

  • Acidosis - Excessive acidity of body fluids

  • Anosmia - Absence of the sense of smell

  • Atelectasis - Collapsed or airless state of the lung, which may be acute or chronic and affects all or part of a lung

  • Coryza - Acute inflammation of the membranes of the nose; also called rhinitis

  • Croup - Common childhood condition involving inflammation of the larynx, trachea, and bronchial passages and sometimes involving the lungs

  • Cystic fibrosis - Life-threatening genetic disease causing mucus to become unusually thick and sticky, plugging tubes and ducts, especially in the lungs and pancreas

  • Deviated nasal septum - Displacement of the cartilage dividing the nostrils that causes reduced airflow and sometimes causes nosebleed

  • Epiglottitis - Severe, life-threatening infection of the epiglottis and supraglottic structures that occurs most commonly in children between ages 2 and 12 years

  • Epistaxis - Nasal hemorrhage; also called nosebleed

  • Hypoxemia - Oxygen deficiency in arterial blood, which is usually a sign of respiratory impairment and commonly causes hypoxia

  • Hypoxia - Oxygen deficiency in the body or a region of the body that commonly causes cyanosis

  • Influenza - Acute, contagious viral disorder of the respiratory tract, characterized by weakness, fever, chills, and muscle pain, especially in the back, arms, and legs; also called flu

  • Pertussis - Acute, infectious disease characterized by a cough that has a characteristic “whoop” sound; also called whooping cough

  • Pleural effusion - Abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity that impairs breathing by limiting the expansion of the lungs

  • Empyema - Exudative effusion characterized by collection of pus in the pleural cavity, commonly as a result of bacterial pneumonia that spreads from the lungs; also called pyothorax

  • Pneumothorax - Presence of air in the pleural cavity, commonly caused by a blunt or penetrating chest injury or as the result of a thoracic surgery

  • Pleurisy - Inflammation of the pleural membrane characterized by a stabbing pain that is intensified by coughing or deep breathing; also called pleuritis

  • Pulmonary edema - Accumulation of extravascular fluid in lung tissues and alveoli, most commonly caused by heart failure

  • Pulmonary embolism - Blockage in an artery of the lungs caused by a mass of undissolved matter (such as a blood clot, tissue, air bubbles, and bacteria) that has traveled to the lungs from another part of the body.

  • Sudden infant death syndrome - Completely unexpected and unexplained death of an apparently normal, healthy infant, usually less than age 12 months; also called crib death

  • Tuberculosis - Potentially fatal contagious disease spread through respiratory droplets, affecting any organ of the body but primarily the lungs and causing chest pain, hemoptysis, weight loss, fatigue, and night sweats

  • Mantoux test - Tuberculosis screening test in which an injection of tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) is placed just beneath the surface of the skin to identify a previous exposure to tuberculosis

  • Oximetry - Noninvasive method of monitoring the percentage of hemoglobin (Hb) saturated with oxygen; also called pulse oximetry

  • Polysomnography - Test of sleep cycles and stages using electroencephalograms (EEGs), which are continuous recordings of brain waves, as well as electrical activity of muscles, eye movement, respiratory rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, heart rhythm and, sometimes, direct observation of the person during sleep using a video camera

  • pulmonary function tests - Series of tests to aid in the diagnosis of lung diseases and evaluate effectiveness of treatments

  • Spirometry - PFT that measures how much and how quickly air moves in and out of the lungs

  • Bronchoscopy - Visual examination of the bronchi using an endoscope (flexible fiberoptic or rigid) inserted through the mouth and trachea for direct viewing of structures or for projection on a monitor

  • Laryngoscopy - Visual examination of the larynx to detect tumors, foreign bodies, nerve or structural injury, or other abnormalities

  • Mediastinoscopy - Visual examination of the mediastinal structures, including the heart, trachea, esophagus, bronchus, thymus, and lymph nodes

  • arterial blood gas - Test that measures dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide in arterial blood

  • sputum culture - Microbial test used to identify disease-causing organisms of the lower respiratory tract, especially those that cause pneumonias

  • Sweat test - Measurement of the amount of salt (sodium chloride) in sweat

  • Throat culture - Test used to identify pathogens, especially group A streptococci

  • chest x-ray - Radiographic test that aids in identifying lung conditions such as pneumonia, lung cancer, COPD, and pneumothorax

  • computed tomography pulmonary angiography - Minimally invasive imaging that combines computed tomography scanning and angiography to produce images of the pulmonary arteries

  • Ventilation-perfusion - Nuclear test scan that evaluates airflow (ventilation) and blood flow (perfusion) in the lungs for evidence of a blood clot in the lungs; also called V-Q lung scan

  • Pleurectomy - Excision of part of the pleura, usually the parietal pleura

  • Pneumonectomy - Excision of a lung or a portion of the lung, commonly for treatment of cancer 

  • Septoplasty - Surgical repair of a deviated nasal septum that is usually performed when the septum is encroaching on the breathing passages or nasal structures

  • Thoracentesis - Surgical puncture and drainage of the pleural cavity; also called pleurocentesis or thoracocentesis

  • Tracheostomy - Surgical procedure in which an opening is made in the neck and into the trachea into which a breathing tube may be inserted 

  • aerosol therapy - Lung treatment using various techniques to deliver medication in mist form directly to the lungs or air passageways

  • antral lavage - Washing or irrigating of the paranasal sinuses to remove mucopurulent material in an immunosuppressed patient or one with known sinusitis that has failed to respond to medical management

  • endotracheal intubation - Procedure in which a plastic tube is inserted into the trachea to maintain an open airway

  • postural drainage - Method of positioning a patient so that gravity aids in the drainage of secretions from the bronchi and lobes of the lungs to make breathing easier