Respiratory System

Diane A. Young

Adapted from Delmar’s

Comprehensive Medical Terminology

Respiratory System

• Responsible for exchange of gases between the body and the air

• Produce sound, assist in the body’s defense against foreign materials

Anatomy & Physiology

• Upper respiratory – Nose

• Nostril

– Nasal Cavity• septum

– Paranasal Sinuses• cilia

Anatomy & Physiology

• Upper Respiratory tract Cont’d– Pharynx

• Nasopharynx

• Oropharynx

• Laryngopharynx

• Adenoids

• Palatine tonsils

• epiglottis

Anatomy & physiology

• Upper Resp. Tract cont’d– Larynx

• Glottis

• Adam’s apple

Anatomy & Physiology

• Lower Respiratory Tract– Trachea– Bronchi

• Bronchioles

• Alveoli

• Pulmonary parenchyma

Anatomy & Physiology

• Lower Respiratory Tract– Lungs

• Apex• Base• Hilum• Pleura• Parietal pleura• Visceral pleura• Pleural space• Mediastinum• Capillaries

•

Breathing Process

• Begins when the phrenic nerve stimulates the diaphragm to contract and flatten (descend), chest cavity enlarges.

• This creates a decrease in pressure within the thorax and draws air into the lungs – inhalation/inspiration

• Diaphragm relaxes and rises back into the thoracic cavity, increasing pressure with the thorax.

• This causes the air to be forced out of the lungs and is called exhalation/expiration.

Physical Examination

• Inspection – visual examination of the external surface of the body as well as of its movement and posture

• Palpation – process of examining by application of the hands or fingers to the external surface of the body to detect evidence of disease or abnormalities in the various regions

Physical Examination

• Auscultation – process of listening for sounds within the body, usually to sounds of thoracic or abdominal viscera, to detect some abnormal condition, or to detect fetal heart sounds.

• Percussion – use of the fingertips to tap the body lightly but sharply to determine position, size and consistency of an underlying structure and the presence of fluid or pus in a cavity.

Common Signs and Symptoms

• Cough – forceful and sometimes violent expiratory effort preceded by a preliminary inspiration. – Non productive/unproductive – not effective in

bringing up sputum “dry cough”– Productive – effective in bringing up sputum

Common Signs and Symptoms

• Sneeze – To expel air forcibly through the the nose and mouth by spasmodic contraction of muscles of expiration due to irritation of nasal mucosa

• Epistaxis – hemorrhage from the nose; nosebleed• Expectoration – the act of spitting out saliva or

coughing up materials from the air passageways leading to the lungs

Common Signs and Symptoms

• Hemoptysis – expectoration of blood arising from the oral cavity, larynx, trachea, bronchi or lungs

• Rhinorrhea – watery discharge from the nose

• Pleural rub – friction rub caused by inflammation of the pleural space

Common Signs and Symptoms• Rales – produced by passage of air through bronchi that

contain secretion or exudates or that are constricted by spasm or a thickening of their walls. (crackles)

• Rhonchi – rales or rattlings in the throat, especially when it resembles snoring

• Stridor – harsh sound during respiration ; high pitched and resembling the blowing of the wind, due to obstruction of passages

• Wheeze – a whistling sound or sighing sound resulting from narrowing of the lumen of a respirator passageway

Common Signs and Symptoms

• Apnea – temporary cessation of breathing• Dyspnea – difficult breathing• Orthopnea – discomfort in breathing in any but

erect, sitting or standing position• Tachypnea – abnormal rapidity of breathing• Bradypnea – abnormally slow breathing• Kussmaul respirations – very deep, gasping type

of respiration associated with severe diabetic acidosis

Common Signs and Symptoms

• Cyanosis – bluish, grayish, slate like, or dark purple discoloration of the skin due to the presence of abnormal amounts of reduced hemoglobin in the blood.

• Hypercapnia – increased amount of carbon dioxide in the blood

• Hypoxemia – insufficient oxygenation of the blood

• Hypoxia – deficiency of oxygen

Disorders

• Pneumonia

• Asthma

• Pulmonary embolism

• Pneumothorax

What are the causes and symptoms of these disorders?

Disorders

• Rhinitis

• Pharyngitis

• Croup

• Pertussis

• Diphtheria

• Bronchitis

• Tuberculosis

Diagnostic Techniques

• Laryngoscopy• Bronchoscopy• Sputum specimen• Chest x-ray• Pulmonary function tests• Thoracentesis

Why would these diagnostic techniques be performed?