NURSING NUR105 (Week 4) UNIT 2C | St. Petersburg College

UNIT 2C KEY TERMS Bronchodilators - reduce bronchospasm, opening tight or congested airways and facilitating ventilation. • Can be administered Orally or IV, but the preferred route is Inhalation to prevent side effects • Client should be monitored for increased heart rate, blood pressure, anxiety, and restlessness Chest radiograph (CXR) - also known as a Chest Xray; is a projection radiograph of the chest used to diagnose conditions affecting the chest, its contents, and nearby structures Diaphragmatic breathing – deep breathing; air enters the lungs and enters the diaphragm. The chest will not rise, but the belly expands. Huff coughing - 1. After using a bronchodilator treatment (if prescribed), inhale deeply and hold your breath for a few seconds. 2. Cough twice while exhaling. The 1st cough loosens the mucus; the 2nd cough expels secretions. 3. Lean forward and exhale sharply with a “huff” sound mid-exhalation. This helps keep your airways open while moving secretions up and out of the lungs. 4. Inhale by taking rapid short breaths in succession (“sniffing”) to prevent mucus from moving back into smaller airways. 5. Rest and breathe slowly between coughs. 6. Try to avoid prolonged episodes of coughing because these may cause fatigue and hypoxia. Incentive spirometry (IS) - device that measures the flow of air inhaled through a mouthpiece; they are used to: • Improve pulmonary ventilation • Counteract the effects of anesthesia or hypoventilation • Loosen respiratory gaseous exchange • Expand collapsed alveoli • Two types of Incentive Spirometers: i. Flow-Oriented – consists of one or more clear plastic chambers containing freely movable balls or disks that are elevated as the client inhales. This type does not measure the specific volume of air inhaled. ii. Volume-Oriented – measure the inhalation volume maintained by the client; when the client inhales, a piston like plate or accordion-pleated cylinder rises and markings on the side indicate the volume of inspiration achieved. Pursed lip breathing - may help alleviate dyspnea; the client is taught to breathe in normally through the nose, and exhale through pursed lips as if about to whistle, and blow slowly0 and purposefully, tightening the abdominal muscles to assist with exhalation.