Castellon, Guillana Stephanie Mae L.

BSPT 2 YA-2

MISCELLANEOUS DISEASES

Pulmonary Embolism

Pulmonary embolism is a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in your lungs. In most
cases, pulmonary embolism is caused by blood clots that travel to the lungs from deep veins in
the legs or, rarely, from veins in other parts of the body (deep vein thrombosis).

Because the clots block blood flow to the lungs, pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening.
However, prompt treatment greatly reduces the risk of death. Taking measures to prevent blood
clots in your legs will help protect you against pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism symptoms can vary greatly, depending on how much of your lung is
involved, the size of the clots, and whether you have underlying lung or heart disease.

Common signs and symptoms include:

- Shortness of breath. This symptom typically appears suddenly and always gets worse
with exertion.
- Chest pain. You may feel like you're having a heart attack. The pain is often sharp and
felt when you breathe in deeply, often stopping you from being able to take a deep
breath. It can also be felt when you cough, bend or stoop.
- Cough. The cough may produce bloody or blood-streaked sputum.

Other signs and symptoms that can occur with pulmonary embolism include:

- Rapid or irregular heartbeat

- Lightheadedness or dizziness
- Excessive sweating
- Fever
- Leg pain or swelling, or both, usually in the calf caused by a deep vein thrombosis
- Clammy or discolored skin (cyanosis)

Pulmonary Effusion

A pleural effusion is an unusual amount of fluid around the lung. Many medical conditions can
lead to it, so even though your pleural effusion may have to be drained, your doctor likely will
target the treatment at whatever caused it.
Castellon, Guillana Stephanie Mae L.
BSPT 2 YA-2

Causes

A wide range of things can cause a pleural effusion. Some of the more common ones are:

- Leaking from other organs. This usually happens if you have congestive heart failure,
when your heart doesn't pump blood to your body properly. But it can also come from
liver or kidney disease, when fluid builds up in your body and leaks into the pleural
space.
- Cancer. Usually lung cancer is the problem, but other cancers that have spread to the
lung or pleura can cause it, too.
- Infections. Some illnesses that lead to pleural effusion are pneumonia or tuberculosis.
- Autoimmune conditions. Lupus or rheumatoid arthritis are some diseases that can cause
it.
- Pulmonary embolism. This is a blockage in an artery in one of your lungs, and it can lead
to pleural effusion.

Symptoms

You might not have any. You're more likely to have symptoms when a pleural effusion is
moderate or large-sized, or if there is also inflammation.

If you do have symptoms, they may include:

- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain, especially when breathing in deeply (This is called pleurisy or pleuritic pain.)
- Fever
- Cough

Pulmonary Edema

is an abnormal buildup of fluid in the lungs. This buildup of fluid leads to shortness of breath.

Causes:

- Pulmonary edema is often caused by congestive heart failure. When the heart is not able
to pump efficiently, blood can back up into the veins that take blood through the lungs.
- As the pressure in these blood vessels increases, fluid is pushed into the air spaces
(alveoli) in the lungs. This fluid reduces normal oxygen movement through the lungs.
These two factors combine to cause shortness of breath.
Castellon, Guillana Stephanie Mae L.
BSPT 2 YA-2
Pulmonary edema may also be caused by:

- Certain medicines
- High altitude exposure
- Kidney failure
- Narrowed arteries that bring blood to the kidneys
- Lung damage caused by poisonous gas or severe infection
- Major injury

Symptoms of pulmonary edema may include:

- Coughing up blood or bloody froth

- Difficulty breathing when lying down (orthopnea)
- Feeling of "air hunger" or "drowning" (This feeling is called "paroxysmal nocturnal
dyspnea" if it causes you to wake up 1 to 2 hours after falling asleep and struggle to
catch your breath.)
- Grunting, gurgling, or wheezing sounds with breathing
- Problems speaking in full sentences because of shortness of breath

Other symptoms may include:

- Anxiety or restlessness
- Decrease in level of alertness
- Leg or abdominal swelling
- Pale skin
- Sweating (excessive)

Bronchogenic Carcinoma

is a malignant neoplasm of the lung arising from the epithelium of the bronchus or bronchiole.

Pathology:

Bronchogenic carcinomas begin as a small focus of atypical epithelial cells within the bronchial
mucosa. As the lesion progresses, the atypia becomes frankly malignant and the neoplasm
grows in size. The neoplasm may grow into the bronchial lumen, along the mucosa or into the
bronchial wall and adjacent lung parenchyma. Eventually the neoplasm spreads to regional
lymph nodes and distant organs such as the liver, brain and bone. Most bronchogenic
carcinomas form a mass in or near the hilum. Some neoplasms, especially the
adenocarcinomas, form a mass in the periphery of the lung.
Castellon, Guillana Stephanie Mae L.
BSPT 2 YA-2
Signs and symptoms:

- persistent or worsening cough.

- wheezing.
- coughing up blood and mucus.
- chest pain that gets worse when you take a deep breath, laugh, or cough.
- shortness of breath.
- hoarseness.
- weakness, fatigue.
- frequent or persistent attacks of bronchitis or pneumonia.

Pleural Injury

An injury, inflammation, or infection can cause the blood or air to build up in the pleural space
and lead to a pleural disorder.

Pneumothorax

A pneumothorax (noo-moe-THOR-aks) is a collapsed lung. A pneumothorax occurs when air

leaks into the space between your lung and chest wall. This air pushes on the outside of your
lung and makes it collapse. A pneumothorax can be a complete lung collapse or a collapse of
only a portion of the lung.

A pneumothorax can be caused by a blunt or penetrating chest injury, certain medical

procedures, or damage from underlying lung disease. Or it may occur for no obvious reason.
Symptoms usually include sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. On some occasions, a
collapsed lung can be a life-threatening event.

Symptoms:

The main symptoms of a pneumothorax are sudden chest pain and shortness of breath.
Severity of symptoms may depend on how much of the lung is collapsed.

Hemothorax

is a collection of blood in the space between the chest wall and the lung (the pleural cavity).
Castellon, Guillana Stephanie Mae L.
BSPT 2 YA-2

Causes

The most common cause of hemothorax is chest trauma. Hemothorax can also occur in people
who have:

- A blood clotting defect

- Chest (thoracic) or heart surgery
- Death of lung tissue (pulmonary infarction)
- Lung or pleural cancer -- primary or secondary (metastatic, or from another site)
- A tear in a blood vessel when placing a central venous catheter or when associated with
severe high blood pressure
- Tuberculosis

Symptoms:

- Shortness of breath.
- Rapid, shallow breathing.
- Chest pain.
- Low blood pressure (shock)
- Pale, cool and clammy skin.
- Rapid heart rate.
- Restlessness.
- Anxiety.

Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) occurs when fluid builds up in the tiny, elastic air
sacs (alveoli) in your lungs. The fluid keeps your lungs from filling with enough air, which means
less oxygen reaches your bloodstream. This deprives your organs of the oxygen they need to
function.

ARDS typically occurs in people who are already critically ill or who have significant injuries.
Severe shortness of breath — the main symptom of ARDS — usually develops within a few
hours to a few days after the precipitating injury or infection.

Many people who develop ARDS don't survive. The risk of death increases with age and
severity of illness. Of the people who do survive ARDS, some recover completely while others
experience lasting damage to their lungs.
Castellon, Guillana Stephanie Mae L.
BSPT 2 YA-2

Causes:

The mechanical cause of ARDS is fluid leaked from the smallest blood vessels in the lungs into
the tiny air sacs where blood is oxygenated. Normally, a protective membrane keeps this fluid in
the vessels. Severe illness or injury, however, can cause damage to the membrane, leading to
the fluid leakage of ARDS.

Underlying causes of ARDS include:

- Sepsis. The most common cause of ARDS is sepsis, a serious and widespread infection
of the bloodstream.
- Inhalation of harmful substances. Breathing high concentrations of smoke or chemical
fumes can result in ARDS, as can inhaling (aspirating) vomit or near-drowning episodes.
- Severe pneumonia. Severe cases of pneumonia usually affect all five lobes of the lungs.
- Head, chest or other major injury. Accidents, such as falls or car crashes, can directly
damage the lungs or the portion of the brain that controls breathing.
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). People who have severe COVID-19 may
develop ARDS.
- Others. Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), massive blood transfusions and
burns.

Symptoms:

The signs and symptoms of ARDS can vary in intensity, depending on its cause and severity, as
well as the presence of underlying heart or lung disease. They include:

- Severe shortness of breath

- Labored and unusually rapid breathing
- Low blood pressure
- Confusion and extreme tiredness