OXYGEN THERAPY AND SUCTIONING (CANVAS LEC)
the body through the nares and sometimes through
Introduction
• Oxygen
– a clear, odorless gas that constitutes
approximately 21% of the air we breathe
– is necessary for proper functioning of all the living
cells.
– The absence of oxygen can lead to cellular, tissue,
and organism death.
– Although the delivery of oxygen to body tissue is
affected at least indirectly by other body systems, the
respiratory system is most directly involved in this
process. Impaired function of the system can
significantly affect our ability to breathe, transport
gases, and participate in everyday activities.
• Respiration is the process of gas exchange between
the individual and environment.
– The process of respiration involves three
components:
1. Pulmonary ventilation or breathing; the
movement of air between the atmosphere and the
alveoli of the lungs as we inhale and exhale.
2. Gas exchange, which involves diffusion of oxygen
and carbon dioxide between the alveoli and
pulmonary capillaries.
3. Transport of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues,
and carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs.
• The respiratory system is the system in the human
body that enables us to breathe.
Structure and Function of the Respiratory System
• The respiratory system can be divided into the
upper respiratory system, which can also be referred
to as the upper airway and the upper respiratory tract,
and the lower respiratory system, which can also be
referred to as the lower airway and the lower
respiratory tract, as shown in the picture below.
• The upper respiratory tract consists of the nose and
nares also referred to as the nostrils, the pharynx, and
the larynx; and the upper respiratory tract consists of
the trachea, the bronchi, the lungs, and the alveoli.
• Air, including the oxygen in environmental air, enters
the mouth when the person is a "mouth breather".
The nose and the nares, with their tiny hair- like
structures called cilia, filter environmental air to free
it of bacteria and other harmful substances such as
dust and air pollution. As air moves through the nose,
it is also warmed before it moves along to the pharynx
and the other anatomical structures of the upper and
lower respiratory system.
The flow of air from the environment moves through
the respiratory system in these sequential steps
during inspiration:
• Nose or mouth > pharynx > larynx > trachea > the
right or left bronchi of the lung > bronchioles of the
lungs > alveoli of the lungs.
THE LUNGS
• The human body has two lungs which are the right
lung and the left lung. The lungs share space in the
thoracic, or chest cavity, of the human body with the
heart which lies between the left and right lungs, as
shown in the picture above, and above the diaphragm
which is the major breathing muscle of the body and
at the level of the first rib of the body. Like the heart,
the lungs are protected with boney structures like the
ribs and the spine.
• The left lung lies on the left side of the heart and the
chest cavity, and the right lung lies on the right side of
the heart and the chest cavity. The right lung is larger
than the left lung because of the left lung shares and
occupies the left side of the chest cavity along with the
largest part of the heart.
• The smaller left lung has two lobes and the larger
right lung has three lobes. The two lobes of the left
lung are the upper lobe and the lower lobe; and the
three lobes of the right lung are the upper lobe, the
middle lobe, and the lower lobe.
The Other Parts of the Respiratory System
• In addition to the lungs, the respiratory system also
includes the:
– Pharynx
– Epiglottis
– Trachea
– Larynx
– Bronchi
– Bronchioles
– Alveoli
THE ACT OF BREATHING
Two stages
1. Inhalation – the intake of air into the lungs through
expansion of chest volume.
2. Exhalation – the expulsion of air from the lungs
through contraction of chest volume.

Inhalation and Exhalation involves Muscles:

1. Rib muscles
- the muscles between the ribs in the chest.
2. Diaphragm muscle
o Muscle movement – the diaphragm and rib muscles
are constantly contracting and relaxing
(approximately 16 times per minute), thus causing the
chest cavity to increase and decrease.
o During inhalation – the muscles contract:
- Contraction of the diaphragm muscle – causes
the diaphragm to flatten, thus enlarging the chest
cavity.
- Contraction of the rib muscles – causes the ribs to
rise, thus increasing the chest volume.
- The chest cavity expands, thus reducing air
pressure and causing air to be passively drawn into the
lungs. Air passes from the high pressure outside the
lungs to the low pressure inside the lungs.
o During exhalation – the muscles relax:
- The muscles are no longer contracting, they are
relaxed.
- The diaphragm curves and rises, the ribs descend
– and chest volume decreases.
- The chest cavity contracts thus increasing air
pressure and causing the air in the lungs to be expelled
through the upper respiratory tract. Exhalation, too, is
passive. Air passes from the high pressure in the lungs
to the low pressure in the upper respiratory tract.
o Inhalation and exhalation are involuntary and
therefore their control requires an effort.

The act of breathing – Illustration & Animation

• Changes in chest volume during inhalation and
exhalation – note that it only shows the movement of
the diaphragm, not that of the rib muscles.
The respiratory system- Illustration
Factors Affecting the Respiratory System (HMEALS)
• Health status - diseases in the respiratory system
can affect respiratory function
• Medications - anti-anxiety drugs and sedative-
hypnotics can decrease the rate and depth of
respirations. (ex. Diazepam (Valium), Flurazepam
(Dalmane), Barbiturates (Phenobarbital)
• Environment - altitude, heat, cold and air pollution
affect oxygenation
• Age - increase in newborn, slows until adulthood and
decreases for elderly
• Lifestyle - increase due to physical exercise/ activity;
occupations can predispose individual to lung
diseases. Silicosis (sandstone blasters and potters),
asbestosis (asbestos workers), anthracosis (coal
miners), organic dust disease( farmers/ agricultural
workers)
• Stress - some hyperventilate when stressed, when
stress continues this increase the risk of cardiovascular
disease

ASSESSING THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

Assess the client for signs and symptoms of respiratory
changes:
• Complaints of shortness of breath (dyspnea)
• Bluish or cyanotic appearance of the nail beds, lips,
mucous membranes
and skin
• Restlessness, irritability, confusion, decreased level
of consciousness
• Pain during inspiration and expiration
• Labored or difficult breathing
• Orthopnea
• Use of accessory muscles
• Abnormal breath sounds such as wheezes, rhonchi
or rales
• Inability to breathe spontaneously
• Thick, frothy, blood-tinged or copious sputum
production – Macrobacterium Tuberculosis
• Paradoxical chest wall movement