Lecture Notes
Classroom Activity to
Accompany Medical
Terminology Systems, Sixth
Edition
Barbara A. Gylys ∙ Mary Ellen Wedding
7
Respiratory
System
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Structure
• Upper respiratory tract
• Nose, pharynx, larynx,
trachea
• Lower respiratory tract
• Bronchi, bronchioles,
lungs, alveoli,
breathing muscles
2
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Function
• Respiration
• External and Internal
• Other functions, with help of cardiovascular
system
• Provides oxygen to body cells
• Eliminates the waste product carbon
dioxide CO2
3
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Structure and Function Exercise
Q: Name the structures of the upper respiratory tract (URT)?
A: Nose, pharynx, larynx, and trachea.
Q: What are the structures of the lower respiratory tract ?
A: Bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, and the lungs.
Q: What do abbreviations O2 and CO2 mean?
A: O2 means oxygen; CO2 means carbon dioxide.
Q: What is the main function of the respiratory system?
A: Provides O2 and removes CO2 from body cells.
Q: What other body system helps the respiratory system transport O2
and remove CO2 from body cells?
A: CV system helps transport O2 and remove CO2 from body cells.
4
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Sleep Apnea
Signs and Symptoms
• Brief or prolonged
absence of
spontaneous
respirations.
5
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Sleep Apnea
Signs and Symptoms (continued)
• In obstructive sleep apnea, patients stop
breathing multiple times each night. Causes
include airway obstruction that may be
caused by soft palate, neck tissue, or tonsil
enlargement.
• In premature infants, the immature CNS fails
to maintain a consistent respiratory rate, and
there are long pauses between regular
breathing.
6
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Sleep Apnea
Signs and Symptoms (continued)
• Apnea is followed by a gasping breath
that often awakens the person.
• Occurs most often in middle-aged,
obese men who snore excessively.
7
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Sleep Apnea
Treatment
• Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy
(T&A).
• Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPP).
• CPAP apparatus to keep airway open
in adults; home apnea monitor for
infants.
8
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Clinically Related Exercise
Q: Mrs. J is diagnosed with sleep apnea and asks the nurse to explain this disorder.
A: The nurse explains it’s a temporary loss of breathing resulting in brief or
prolonged absence of spontaneous respiration.
Q: Patient X presents for an excision of tonsils and adenoids as a treatment of
sleep apnea. The abbreviation for the surgical procedure to remove tonsils and
adenoids is__________.
A: T&A
Q: Mary is prescribed a CPAP machine for sleep apnea. The respiratory therapist
explains that this machine will help keep her airway open at night so she can
breathe normally. The medical term to breathe normal is ___________.
A: eupnea
Q: Mr. M presents with complaints of excessive snoring at night that awakens him
and also results in him gasping for breath. The physician explains that he has a
common condition that occurs in middle-aged, obese men in which temporary
cessation of breathing occurs. This condition is known as sleep (apnea, dyspnea,
eupnea).
A: apnea
9
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Lung Cancer
Signs and Symptoms
• Early-stage lung cancer usually produces no
symptoms and is difficult to detect.
• When symptoms appear, they may include
smoker’s cough, wheezing, chest pain,
dyspnea, and hemoptysis.
• Risk factors include chemical exposure or
history of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke.
10
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Lung Cancer
Treatment
• Combination of surgery, radiation therapy,
and chemotherapy depending on whether
the malignancy is localized or metastasized.
• Chest x-ray, sputum cytology test, and
bronchoscopy with tissue biopsy are
required for definitive diagnosis.
11
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Clinically Related Exercise
Q: Mr O works for a collision shop and sprays paint on cars. He is also a 2 pack/day
smoker for 15 years. He is concerned about developing lung cancer and asks the
nurse if it is preventable.
A: She explains that lung cancer is preventable if one avoids smoking and inhaling
toxic substances.
Q: A 1 pack/day smoker for the past 8 years is diagnosed with lung cancer. She
asks the doctor if her cancer will be cured if she stops smoking.
A: The doctor explains if smokers stop smoking during early precancerous cellular
changes, damaged bronchial lining tissues often return to normal.
Q: The patient presents for a visual examination of his interior bronchi with biopsy
to confirm a diagnosis of lung cancer. The physician documents the visual
examination of the bronchi as a ____________________.
A: bronchoscopy
Q: The patient is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and asks why it was not
detected last year during her annual physical exam.
A: The nurse explains that early-stage lung cancer usually produces no symptoms
and is difficult to detect. When symptoms appear, cancer often has metastasized
to tissues such as the brain, liver, and bone.
12
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Upper Airway Obstruction
Signs and Symptoms
• Symptoms vary depending on the
cause of obstruction, but some
symptoms are common to all types of
obstructions.
• Cyanosis of the skin.
• Difficulty breathing, choking,
confusion, panic, unconsciousness.
13
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Upper Airway Obstruction
Treatment
• Depends on the cause of the blockage.
• Objects lodged in the airway may be
removed with a laryngoscope or
bronchoscope.
• A tube may be inserted into the airway
(endotracheal tube or nasotracheal tube).
• Opening is made directly into the airway
(tracheostomy) if needed.
14
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Clinically Related Exercise
Q: Doctor X is concerned that Mrs. T has an airway blockage. The patient asks if
there a test to confirm a blockage.
A: The doctor states tests may include bronchoscopy, laryngoscopy, and
radiography.
Q: John’s x-ray shows a small foreign object lodged in his larynx. The physician
removes the object with an instrument called a ____________________.
A: laryngoscope
Q: The patient presents for an opening to be made into the trachea. This
surgical procedure is documented in the medical record as a
________________.
A: tracheostomy
Q: The anesthesiologist inserts a tube directly into the patient’s trachea so the
patient will be able to breathe while under general anesthesia. This tube is
known as an ___________________ _________________.
A: endotracheal tube
15
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Medical Vocabulary
• acidosis
• aerophagia
• anosmia
• anoxia
• apnea
• asphyxia
• atelectasis
• bradypnea
16
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Medical Vocabulary
(continued)
• coryza
• cyanosis
• dysphonia
• dyspnea
• emphysema
• epistaxis
• eupnea
• hypercapnia
17
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Medical Vocabulary
(continued)
• influenza
• mucoid
• pertussis
• pleurisy
• pneumonia
• pyothorax
• respiration
18
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Medical Vocabulary
(continued)
• resuscitation
• rhinoplasty
• rhinorrhea
• rhonchi
• stridor
• tachypnea
• transnasally
19
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Diagnostic Procedures
• Bronchoscopy
• Tissue biopsy for
cancer detection of
lungs
• Remove obstruction
(tissue or other), or
observe directly for
pathological
changes
20
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Diagnostic Procedures
(continued)
Thoracentesis
• Remove fluid from
pleural space for
diagnostic or
therapeutic
purposes
21
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Diagnostic Procedures
(continued)
• Arterial blood gas (ABG)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Pulmonary function tests (PFTs)
22
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Word Building Exercise
Q: Visual examination of bronchi: __________________.
A: bronchoscopy
Q: Surgical puncture of chest: ______________________.
A: thoracentesis or thoracocentesis
Q: Forming an opening (mouth) in the trachea:___________.
A: tracheostomy
Q: Visual examination of larynx: ____________________.
A: laryngoscopy
Q: Instrument for measuring breathing: _________________.
A: spirometer
Q: Instrument for examining the larynx: _________________.
A: laryngoscope
23
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Medical and Surgical Procedures
• Lavage
• Irrigation of paranasal sinuses to remove
mucopurulent material
• Postural drainage
• Body is positioned so gravity helps
remove secretions from the lung or
bronchi. Coughing usually expels
secretions from the trachea
24
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Medical and Surgical Procedures
(continued)
Tracheostomy
• Upper airway
obstruction
25
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Clinically Related Exercise
Q: Mr. J has a history of smoking 2 packs/day for 30 years. He is
diagnosed with throat cancer and presents to the hospital for an
excision of the larynx. What is this surgical procedure called?
A: laryngectomy
Q: Mr. M has thick mucous secretions from a prolonged respiratory
infection. The nurse adjusts his bed upright to 90 degrees so he
can easily cough up mucus. This type of therapeutic drainage is
known as postural ______________.
A: drainage
Q: Mrs. S presents to the ED with cyanosis caused by an obstructed
airway. The physician incises the trachea to open it below the
blockage and restore breathing. An incision into the trachea is
known as (tracheocentesis, tracheostenosis, tracheotomy).
A: tracheotomy
26
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Pharmacology
• Bronchodilators
• Drugs that dilate
constricted airways
via a metered-dose
inhaler (MDI)
• Corticosteroids
27
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Pharmacology
(continued)
• Metered-dose
inhalers (MDIs)
• Nebulized mist
treatments (NMTs)
• Administer meds
directly into lungs
via a nebulizer
28
7
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Clinically Related Exercise
Q: To reduce airway inflammation in an asthmatic patient, the
doctor prescribes a/an (antibiotic, corticosteroid, expectorant).
A: corticosteroid
Q: Ms. C presents with a chief complaint of shortness of breath
upon exertion. Medication is prescribed to expand the bronchial
airways . It is known as a/an (bronchodilator, corticosteroid,
expectorant).
A: bronchodilator
Q: Upon inhalation, a fine spray delivers medication into the lungs.
The device used is known as a/an (bronchoscope, intubator,
nebulizer).
A: nebulizer
Q: To reduce sputum thickness and ability to cough it up, the
physician prescribes a/an (antibiotic, corticosteroid,
expectorant).
A: expectorant
29