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Assessment of Respiratory System: Submitted by Pankaj Singh Rana Nurse Practitioner in Critical Care, Srhu
Assessment of Respiratory System: Submitted by Pankaj Singh Rana Nurse Practitioner in Critical Care, Srhu
RESPIRATORY
SYSTEM
SUBMITTED BY
PANKAJ SINGH RANA
NURSE PRACTITIONER IN
CRITICAL CARE, SRHU
Functions of the Respiratory
System
Air Distributor
Gas exchanger
Filters, warms, and
humidifies air
Influences speech
Allows for sense of smell
Divisions of the Respiratory
System
Upper respiratory tract
(outside thorax)
Nose
Nasal Cavity
Sinuses
Pharynx
Larynx
Divisions of the Respiratory
System
Lower respiratory
tract (within thorax)
Trachea
Bronchial Tree
Lungs
Structures of the Upper
Respiratory Tract
Nose - warms and moistens air
Palantine bone separates nasal
cavity from mouth.
▪ Cleft palate - Palantine
bone does not form
correctly, difficulty in
swallowing and speaking.
Septum - separates right and
left nostrils
▪ rich blood supply = nose
bleeds.
Sinuses - 4 air containing
spaces – open or drain into
nose - (lowers weight of skull).
Structures of the Upper
Respiratory Tract
▪ Pharynx - (throat)
▪ Base of skull to
esophagus
▪ 3 divisions
– Nasopharynx - behind nose
to soft palate.
▪ Adenoids swell and
block.
– Oropharynx - behind
mouth, soft palate to hyoid
bone.
▪ tonsils
– Laryngopharynx - hyoid
bone to esophagus.
Structures of the Lower
Respiratory Tract
▪ Larynx - voice box
– Root of tongue to
upper end of trachea.
– Made of cartilage
– 2 pairs of folds
▪ Vestibular - false
vocal cords
▪ True vocal cords
Structures of the Lower
Respiratory Tract larynx cont…
▪ Pulmonary Ventilation =
breathing
– Mechanism
▪ Movement of gases
through a pressure
gradient - hi to low.
▪ When atmospheric
pressure (760 mmHg)
is greater than lung
pressure ---- air flows
in = inspiration.
▪ When lung pressure is
greater than
atmospheric pressure
---- air flows out =
expiration.
Respiratory Physiology
INTRODUCTION
Respiratory medicine comprises a large part of everyday clinical
practice for two reasons:
▪ Respiratory conditions are common – accounting for more than 13
per cent of all emergency admissions and more than 20 per cent of
general practitioner consultations
▪ Respiratory symptoms and signs as elicited by respiratory history and
examination are often present in non-respiratory conditions as well
as respiratory conditions.
CLINICAL HISTORY
Wheeze that occurs more at night and first thing in the morning,
and that may be exacerbated by exercise, is suggestive of asthma
and COPD.
A pronounced variation in the severity of wheeze (worse at night
and in the morning compared to daytime) is more suggestive of
asthma, but by no means excludes COPD.
enquire the relationship between other respiratory symptoms and
precipitating factors, specifically asking about exercise and cold or
foggy weather.
WHEEZE
Example A: History of crushing central chest pain radiating to the
arm and associated with nausea and vomiting and a feeling of
dread.
Conclusion: Myocardial ischaemic pain.
Acute onset,sputum
purulent sputum, clearing Acute bronchitis
after 1–3 weeks Pneumonia
TEMPERATURE
Cold fingers indicate peripheral vasoconstriction or heart
failure.
Warm hands with dilated veins are seen in CO 2 retention.
FINGERS
▪ Fingers stained with tar appear yellow/brown where the
cigarette is held (nicotine is colorless and does not stain). This
indicates smoking but is not an accurate indicator of the
number of cigarettes smoked.
CYANOSIS
▪ This is a bluish tinge to the skin, mucous membranes, and nails,
evident when >2.5g/dL of reduced hemoglobin is present
▪ (O 2 Saturation about 85%). It is easier to see in good, natural
light.
▪ Central cyanosis is seen in the tongue and oral membranes
(severe lung disease, e.g., pneumonia, PE, COPD). Peripheral
cyanosis is seen only in the fingers and toes and is caused by
peripheral vascular disease and vasoconstriction.
FINGER CLUBBING
▪ There is increased curvature of the nails. Early clubbing is seen
as a softening of the nail bed (nail can be rocked from side to
side), but this is very difficult to detect.
▪ When checking for clubbing, ask the patient to hold the distal
phalanx of one finger ‘back to back’ against the distal phalanx
of the same finger on the opposite hand, such that the two
fingernails are touching. Normally there is a small ‘window’
separating the two nail beds – loss of this ‘window’ indicates
clubbing. This is known as Schamroth’s test.
Finger clubbing
Respiratory causes of finger clubbing
JVP
▪ JVP is raised in pulmonary vasoconstriction or
pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure. It is
markedly raised, without a pulsation, in SVC
obstruction, with distended upper chest wall veins
and facial and conjunctival edema (chemosis).
NOSE
▪ Examine inside and out, looking for polyps (asthma), deviated
septum, and lupus pernio (red/purple nasal swelling of sarcoid
granuloma).
EYES
• Conjunctiva: evidence of anemia?
• Horner’s syndrome: caused by compression of the sympathetic
chain in the chest cavity (tumor, sarcoidosis, fibrosis)
• Iritis: TB, sarcoidosis
• Conjunctivitis: TB, sarcoidosis
• Retina: Papilledema in CO 2 retention or cerebral metastases.
Retinal tubercles in TB. Choroiditis in TB or syphilis
LYMPH NODES
▪ Feel especially the anterior and posterior triangles, the
supraclavicular areas. Don’t forget that the axillae receive
lymph drainage from the chest wall and breasts.
HANDS
▪ The hands are abnormally blue but warm indicate that the
patient is centrally cyanosed and this can be confirmed by
looking centrally at the tongue.
▪ Hands that are cool and blue may either indicate that there is
peripheral cyanosis or combined central and peripheral
cyanosis. Warm, well-perfused hands along with a flapping
tremor indicate carbon dioxide retention.
The Five Cs Explanation
• The right middle finger should be kept in the flexed position, the
striking movement coming from the wrist (much like playing the
piano).
• In clinical practice, one should percuss each area of the lung, each
time comparing right then left.
area of dullness below the level of the sixth hyperinflated lungs, liver presence.
rib anteriorly on the right
AUSCULTATION
Technique
▪ The diaphragm should be used, except where better
surface contact is needed in very thin or hairy patients.
▪ Ask the patient to take deep breaths in and out through
the mouth.
▪ Listen to both inspiration and expiration.
▪ Listen over the same areas percussed, comparing left to
right.
▪ If an abnormality is found, examine more carefully and
define borders
AUSCULTATION
TECHNIQUE
▪ The diaphragm should be used, except where better surface contact
is needed in very thin or hairy patients.
▪ Ask the patient to take deep breaths in and out through the mouth.
▪ Listen to both inspiration and expiration.
▪ Listen over the same areas percussed, comparing left to right.
▪ If an abnormality is found, examine more carefully and define
borders
Vocal resonance
▪ Auscultatory equivalent of vocal fremitus
▪ Low-pitched sounds transmit well and create a vocal
booming quality.
▪ •Ask the patient to say “99” or 1, 1, 1” and listen over the
same areas as before.
▪ The changes are the same as those for vocal fremitus.
▪ A marked increased resonance, such that a whisper can be
clearly heard, is termed whispered pectoriloquy .
Breath sounds Cilinical significance