Tag: respiratory
- Albuterol ()
Why is this medication prescribed? Albuterol is used to prevent and treat difficulty breathing, wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness caused by lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; a group of diseases that affect the lungs and airways). Albuterol inhalation aerosol and powder for oral inhalation is also […]
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ()
What is COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)? COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a group of lung diseases that make it hard to breathe and get worse over time. Normally, the airways and air sacs in the lungs are elastic or stretchy. During inhalation, the airways bring air to the air sacs. The air sacs […]
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Treatment ()
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment uses a machine to pump air under pressure into the airway of the lungs. Medics use CPAP to treat patients with pulmonary edema or congestive heart failure. The reason patients with pulmonary edema experience shortness of breath is due to high blood pressure and blood pooling in the pulmonary […]
- Pulmonary Edema ()
High Blood Pressures In The Pulmonary Capillaries Decreases Diffusion Of Oxygen From The Environment Pulmonary edema is an abnormal buildup of fluid in the lungs. This buildup of fluid leads to shortness of breath. Pulmonary edema is often caused by congestive heart failure. When the heart is not able to pump efficiently, blood can back up […]
- Asthma ()
Asthma is a chronic lung disease. It affects the bronchioles (airways) which are the tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. When the patient has asthma, their bronchioles can become inflamed and narrowed. This can cause wheezing, coughing, and tightness in the chest. When these symptoms get worse than usual, it is called […]
- Respiratory Exam ()
Easily Assess The Patient’s Respiratory Complaint And Figure Out The Underlying Condition Let’s be honest, is it really that difficult to just go to somebody’s house and with very little effort determine they are having shortness of breath? And if all the medics did was give some oxygen and transport to the hospital, that would […]
- Assisting Ventilation ()
The Patient Imagine if you will a patient with difficulty breathing is laying on the stretcher in the back of the ambulance. Their shortness of breath is turning into an inability to speak and the patient has a scared look in their eyes that tells you that they need serious help. The medics can see […]
- More Oxygen Delivery Devices ()
Partial Rebreather Mask Delivers oxygen concentrations between 60% to 80%. Partial Rebreather Mask does not have a valve covering the oxygen enrichment bag thus allowing the patient to re-breathe some exhaled gases. Flow rate is adjusted to keep the bag inflated (just like a non rebreather mask) but expect between 10 – 15 lpm. Tracheostomy […]
- Time To Clear The Air ()
Air Is A Type of Fluid When most people hear the word “fluid,” they usually think of liquid. However, gasses, like air, are also fluids. Fluids take on the shape of their containers. Fluids generally do not resist deformation when even the smallest stress is applied, or they resist it only slightly. We call this […]
- Problems With Ambient Air ()
Problems with ambient air can cause a patient to inexplicably experience shortness of breath. Imagine a situation where a patient is struggling to breathe but there is no history of medical problems. Perhaps the patient’s problem is the ambient air. Various situations that affect ambient air can result in hypoxia: Enclosed Spaces – Carbon dioxide […]