Respiratory System Notes PDF

BAYRANTE, DONNA MAE M. BSN - 4G-G2 For today's activity, search about the following: 1. Anatomy of the Respiratory System The respiratory system facilitates breathing by bringing oxygen into the body and eliminating carbon dioxide. The lungs, nose, mouth, airways, muscles, blood vessels, and prot...

BAYRANTE, DONNA MAE M. BSN - 4G-G2 For today's activity, search about the following: 1. Anatomy of the Respiratory System The respiratory system facilitates breathing by bringing oxygen into the body and eliminating carbon dioxide. The lungs, nose, mouth, airways, muscles, blood vessels, and protecting ribs all work together to ensure proper gas exchange. The lungs are the main organs of your breathing system. However, your respiratory system is made up of several components that work together to allow you to breathe. Your respiratory system consists of the following parts: Upper Respiratory Tract: 1. Nasal Cavity:Filter, warm, and humidify the air. It contains hairs and mucous, which trap dust and bacteria.  Pharynx (Throat): A shared pathway for air and food, divided into:  Nasopharynx: Posterior to the nasal cavity.  Oropharynx: Posterior to the oral cavity.  Laryngopharynx: Leads to the larynx and esophagus. 2. Larynx (Voice Box): Contains vocal chords and serves as an airway. The epiglottis stops food from entering the airways. Lower Respiratory Tract The lower respiratory tract conducts air and facilitates gas exchange. 1. Trachea (Windpipe): A tube reinforced with cartilage rings, leading air to the bronchi. Bronchi:  Primary Bronchi: Two main branches that lead to each lung.  Secondary and Tertiary Bronchi: Smaller branches within the lungs. 2. Bronchioles: tiny, cartilage-free passageways that lead to alveoli. Lungs The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system, where gas exchange occurs. Lobes:  Right Lung: Three lobes (superior, middle, inferior).  Left Lung: Two lobes (superior and inferior), smaller due to the heart. Alveoli: Diffusion-based exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen takes place in tiny, balloon-like sacs encircled by capillaries. Diaphragm Diaphragm: A dome-shaped muscle that creates negative pressure to suck air in by contracting and flattening during inhaling. 2. Physiology of the Respiratory System Your respiratory system's primary job is to remove carbon dioxide, a waste product, and draw in oxygen for your body's cells. This is accomplished by breathing in and out as well as by gas exchange between the blood arteries that run close by and the tiny air sacs in your lungs, known as alveoli. Additionally, your respiratory system: 1. makes the air you breathe in warmer and more humid. The air is warmed by your respiratory system to the temperature of your body. It hydrates the air to the proper humidity level for your body. 2. shields your body from airborne contaminants. Your respiratory system has components that can either keep dangerous bacteria and irritants out or force them out if they do get inside. 3. lets you speak. Your voice chords vibrate in the air, producing sounds. 4. aids in odor. Your olfactory nerve, which communicates with your brain about odors, is traversed by the molecules in air when you breathe it in. 5. balances your body's acidity level. Your blood becomes acidic when you have too much carbon dioxide in it. Your respiratory system contributes to the preservation of your body's acid-base equilibrium by eliminating carbon dioxide. 3. Medications during an Emergency Code  Epinephrine Purpose: Restores heart rhythm and improves blood flow to vital organs. Dose: 1 mg IV/IO every 3–5 minutes during cardiac arrest. Use: Pulseless rhythms like asystole, ventricular fibrillation (VF), and pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT).  Amiodarone Purpose: Treats life-threatening arrhythmias. Dose: First dose: 300 mg IV/IO. Second dose: 150 mg IV/IO if needed. Use: Refractory VF or pulseless VT.  Lidocaine Purpose: Alternative to amiodarone as an antiarrhythmic. Dose: 1–1.5 mg/kg IV/IO initially; additional doses up to 3 mg/kg. Indications: Refractory VF, pulseless VT.  Magnesium Sulfate Purpose: Corrects torsades de pointes (polymorphic VT) and hypomagnesemia. Dose: 1–2 g IV diluted in 10 mL D5W over 5–20 minutes. Indications: Torsades de pointes, VF, or VT associated with hypomagnesemia.  Sodium Bicarbonate Purpose: Reverses metabolic acidosis. Dose: 1 mEq/kg IV bolus, repeated as needed. Indications: Severe acidosis or hyperkalemia contributing to cardiac arrest.  Calcium Chloride/Calcium Gluconate Purpose: Treats hyperkalemia, hypocalcemia, or calcium channel blocker overdose. Dose:Calcium chloride: 500–1,000 mg IV, Calcium gluconate: 1–3 g IV.  Dextrose (D50) Purpose: Treats hypoglycemia.  Dose: 25–50 mL of Dextrose 50% IV push.  Vassopressin Purpose: Causes vasoconstriction to improve coronary and cerebral perfusion during cardiac arrest. Alternative to epinephrine for pulseless rhythms (historically). Dose: 40 units IV/IO, given as a single dose during cardiac arrest. Use: for pulseless electrical activity (PEA), asystole, or ventricular fibrillation (VF). Administered rapidly with ongoing CPR.  Naloxone (Narcan): Reverses opioid overdose.  Flumazenil: Reverses benzodiazepine overdose.  Adenosine: For supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). 4. Equipments used to Manage the Airway  Oropharyngeal Airway (OPA) Purpose: Keeps the tongue from obstructing the airway in unconscious patients. Use: Inserted into the mouth; measured from the corner of the mouth to the earlobe. Indications: Unconscious patients without a gag reflex  Nasopharyngeal Airway (NPA) Purpose: Maintains airway patency by bypassing nasal obstruction. Use: Inserted into the nostril; measured from the nostril to the earlobe. Indications: Patients with an intact gag reflex or semi-conscious.  Bag-Valve-Mask (BVM) Purpose: Provides manual ventilation. Components: Self-inflating bag, face mask, oxygen reservoir. Use: Requires proper seal and technique for effective ventilation.  Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) Purpose: Supraglottic airway device for ventilation without intubation. Use: Inserted into the pharynx to sit over the laryngeal inlet.  Indications: Emergency airway management or anesthesia  Endotracheal Tube (ETT) Purpose: Definitive airway management; secures airway and facilitates mechanical ventilation. Use: Inserted into the trachea using direct laryngoscopy or video laryngoscopy. Sizes: Varies by age, gender, and clinical condition.  Laryngoscope Purpose: Visualizes the vocal cords to facilitate ETT placement. Components: Handle, blade (curved/Macintosh or straight/Miller), light source.  Suction Devices Examples: Yankauer suction, flexible suction catheter. Purpose: Clears secretions, blood, or vomit from the airway.  Simple oxygen delivery devices Purpose: Variable performance devices deliver variable fractions of inspired oxygen (FiO2) influenced by the flow rate of oxygen, the size of any reservoir and the breathing pattern of the patient. 5. Nursing diagnoses and interventions for Airway Disorders TYPES NURSING DIAGNOSES INTERVENTION Pneumonia Ineffective Airway  Encourage deep Clearance related to breathing and secretions in the lungs. coughing exercises to mobilize secretions.  Administer prescribed oxygen therapy and monitor SpO₂ levels.  COPD Impaired Gas  Teach pursed-lip Exchange related to breathing to alveolar destruction. improve ventilation and reduce air trapping.  Encourage small, frequent meals to prevent fatigue from eating. Emphysema Ineffective Airway  Encourage low- Clearance related to flow oxygen impaired ciliary therapy to prevent function. oxygen toxicity.  Instruct on proper use of bronchodilators and inhalers. Asthma Ineffective Breathing  Administer Pattern related to bronchodilators airway inflammation. and corticosteroids as prescribed.  Educate on identifying and avoiding triggers (e.g., allergens, cold air). COVID-19 Impaired Gas  Monitor for signs Exchange related to of respiratory inflammation and distress and alveolar damage. administer supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation as needed.  Ensure proper infection control measures (e.g.,  PPE, isolation protocols). Bronchitis Impaired Gas  Encourage Exchange related to hydration to thin bronchial mucus secretions. inflammation.  Promote humidified air to soothe irritated airways. SARS Ineffective Airway  Support Clearance related to oxygenation with airway inflammation. non-invasive or invasive ventilation if needed.  Ensure strict infection control protocols (e.g., isolation, hand hygiene).