Santa Ana College
MA51B Advanced Medical Terminology
Study Guide – Chapter 12: The Respiratory System
1 Pertussis Bacterial infection; Bordetella pertussis of pharynx, larynx and trachea
Whooping cough; paroxysmal (sudden, violent) on inspiration
“100 day cough”
2 Viral disease in children 3-5 caused P. 472: Croup: barking cough; stridor;
by inflammation/obstruction of Cause: influenza or RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)
upper airway
3 Where do you look for signs of p. 466 / slides; fingers, toes, lips, mucous membranes
cyanosis in patients? Not the ears - cartilage
4 Difficulty breathing – term p. 470 Dyspnea; abnormal shortness of breath; increased anxiety; use of accessory
Patient characteristics muscles; fear dread, may lead to full blown asthma attack
5 Bleeding from the nose p. 472 Epistaxis; “nose bleed” spontaneous or blunt trauma
Treatment: compression 10 minutes; cold packs
6 Normal breathing Eupnea: WNL = normal adult respiratory rate 12-20 breaths per minute
Tachypnea: RR > 20 bpm
Bradypnea: RR < 12 bpm
7 S&S Emphysema p. 473 Decrease elasticity of & breakdown of alveoli; secondary to cigarette smoking
Increased pulmonary artery pressure leads to right sided heart failure –
Cor pulmonale
8 Orthopneic position p.467 Breathing in an upright position; sleep with pillows wedged under head and
shoulders
9 Breaks up mucous allowing it to be Mucolytics – Hand held nebulizer treatments
cleared from the lungs Bronchodilators: Proventil; atrovent
Steroids: Solumedrol
10 Entry of air in the pleural cavity p. 468; 477: Pneumothorax; requires Chest tube insertion with a pleural vac
Break in surface of lung from emphysema, carcinoma, TB or lung abscess
11 Gasping or not breathing during P. 470; Sleep apnea; recommend CPAP – continuous positive airway pressure
sleep machine to sleep at night
12 Instrument to measure respiratory p. 480 Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) evaluates: 1) SOB; 2) monitor lung
volumes function of patients with respiratory disease; 3) evaluate disability & 4) assess lung
function before surgery. FEV = forced expiratory volume; TLC = total lung capacity
13 Bronchial airway obstruction; p. 471 Asthma or emphysema
dyspnea, wheezing, cough Tx: Oxygen, IV line, bronchodilators;
14 Inherited disorder of exocrine p. 473 Cystic Fibrosis; CF; chronic airway obstruction / infection; bronchiectasis;
glands; thick mucus secretions do can lead to respiratory failure exocrine insufficiency with digestive enzymes leads to
not clear normally decreased growth.
Tx: no cure, meds, antibiotics, HHN tx – hand-held nebulizer tx; chest
physiotherapy; pancreatic enzymes
15 S&S COPD COPD = Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Bronchitis: “blue bloaters”; hypoxic - cyanotic
Emphysema: “pink puffers”, hypercapneic – retaining CO2; pink
16 Surgical puncture to remove fluid p. 481 Thoracentesis or pleurocentesis
from the pleural space Orthopneic position
Removal of liters of fluid from lung
17 Lung cancer related to asbestos p. 476 Mesothelioma
Inhaled environmental exposure to asbestos
18 Collapsed lung P. 469/ p. 473; incomplete expansion of lung; after surgery not taking full breaths;
lungs under-inflated
19 Four types of lung sounds (p.471) Rales: crackles on inspiration
Rhonchi: course rumbling; snoring
Stridor: high-pitch on inspiration due to obstruction (abscess, airway injury, croup,
epiglottitis, laryngitis)
Wheezes: high-pitched whistling sounds due to narrow bronchioles
20 Surgical opening in the windpipe for p. 482 Tracheostomy
a tube to assist with breathing
21 Hand-held instrument to measure p. 468/480: Incentive spirometer
amount of air in lungs Used for surgical patients to exercise the lungs to prevent complications of
immobility; atelectasis
22 Decreased oxygen in the blood Hypoxemia; low O2 in the blood
Signs: Cyanosis, confused patient
23 Purpose of CPAP p. 470 Patient with sleep apnea; obstructive sleep apnea
Keep airways open while sleep; ventilator support
CPAP: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
24 Malignant tumor in the lungs and NSCLC: Non-small cell lung cancer (90%)
bronchi (p.474) 1. Adenocarcinoma
2. Squamous cell carcinoma
3. Large cell
SCLC: Small cell lung cancer: (10%) Small round cells – “oat” cells
25 Removal of voice box p. 59; 79 Laryngectomy; cancer of larynx
