Respiratory Health Problems

Review at a glance:

• Asthma - an obstructive airflow disorder where narrowing and inflammation of airways cause respiratory distress.
• Atelectasis - collapse of a portion of lung with limited gas exchange.
• Bronchiectasis - an irrevesible state of bronchial dilation and destruction of bronchial walls.
• Bronchitis - inflammation of mucous membranes of bronchial airways; another term for chronic bronchitis is "blue bloater" because of hypoxemia that leads to cyanosis.
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - a group of pulmonary diseases involving obstuction of airflow that is chronic and recurrent, usually associated with asthma, emphysema and bronchitis.
• Cor Pulmonale - a disorder mannifested by hypertrophy of right ventricle caused by pulmonary hypertension; manisfests by as right heart failure.
• Cystic fibrosis (CF) - autosomal recessive disease of exocrine glands that manifests itself in multiple organs, characterized by excess production of mucus and COPD in early childhood.
• Emphysema - a chronic disorder of lungs resulting in overinflation of air spaces, loss of elasticity and decreased gas exchange; another term for chronic emphysema is "pnik puffer" because client does not become cyanotic until end stages of disease.
• Flail Chest - instability of chest wall usually caused by trauma or fractured ribs with a reverse in chest wall movement from normal; chest wall contracts on inspiration and expands outward on expiration.
• Hemothorax - collection of blood or fluid in pleural space.
• Obstructive Pulmonary Disorders - any respiration of parietal space of lungs, also known as pleurisy.
• Pneumonia - inflammation of lungs caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi or other pathogens.
• Pneumothorax - collapse of a portion or all of lung due to trapping of air in pleural space.
• Pulmonary embolism - blockage of a pulmonary artery by an embolus of fat, blood or other foreign body.
• Pulmonary hypertension - a sustained elevation of pulmonary artery pressure, greater than 20mmHg.
• Restrictive Pulmonary Disorders - any disease that limits expansion of lungs or chest wall movement.
• Sleep Apnea - having periods of delay or lack of breathing (usually longer than 10 seconds) during sleep.
• Status Asthmaticus - an acute emergency of a prolonged or repetitive asthma attack.
• Tuberculosis (TB) - infection of lung with an acid-fast bacillus, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.