Lung Consolidation Case Study

The presence of fluid in the alveolar space could potentially cause the lung capacity to be effected as well.

There's also other scans such as a ventilation perfusion scan, this looks for blood clots along the pathway to the lungs. Other

Air escaped from the lung into the pleural space. Eventually, enough air collected in the pleural space to cause the mediastinum to shift twoard the right. The collapsed left lung, increased intrapleural pressure, and rightward shift make it difficult to ventilate A.W.

A chest X-ray and CT scan result demonstrated a cavitation of the right lower pulmonary lobe. This result alone along with Bob’s history of smoking is a big red flag related to lung cancer. Bob’s history reveals that he has been smoking a ½ pack or more per day for 37 years. According to a study done on the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of lung cancer, habitual smokers have the highest risk of developing cancer of the lung than any other cancer (Herth, Eberhardt, Ernst, 2006). The study also concludes that a related association with lung cancer is swelling of the tissue, lung tumors and/cavitation, lymph in the bronchioles, and paratracheal areas. The swelling can lead to an obstructed airway, which matches Bob’s symptoms as well. Chest pain, stridor, and chest pain are all indications of complications in the respiratory system.

There is a considerable controversy regarding the use of OBL in patients with respiratory failure and those on mechanical ventilation because of the potential high morbidity and mortality associated with its use in those patients (20, 21). While the role of OLB has become well established in the diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (18), its utility and safety are more controversial in critically ill patients. Proponents of OLB argue that solid diagnosis of underlying aetiology can be helpful in determination of the best course of treatment (22). Moreover, the risk of biopsy is fairly low if adequate precautions are taken (23). In contrast, opponents of OLB believe that defining the underlying mechanism of injury is largely academic and it will not add new to the treatment of those patients because of the lack of specific therapies for underlying aetiologies of ARDS and respiratory

It causes a decrease in lung functions, and very often, shows signs of breathlessness. It is indeed a destructive disease of the lung in which the alveoli (small sacs) that promote oxygen exchange between the air and the bloodstream are destroyed. Emphysema is a progressive, degenerative kind of disease that destroys many alveolar walls. As a result, clusters of small air sacs merge into larger chambers, which decrease the total surface area of the alveolar walls. At the same time, the alveolar walls lose their elasticity and the capillary networks associated with the alveoli diminish (Shier et al; 2010). It is in this sense that a person with emphysema finds it very difficult and increasingly hard to breath, has to force air out of the lungs because the tissue elasticity of the lungs and for that matter, the alveolar sacs have reduced or completely destroyed. Furthermore, abnormal muscular efforts are required to compensate for the lack of elastic recoil that normally contributes to

-Auscultate the breath sounds. This will indicates any occurrence of additional complications such as accumulation of fluid.

A chest x-ray is the primary way to diagnose a pneumothorax. Generally two chest x-rays will be taken, one on inspiration and one on expiration. This allows to better visualize the collapsed lung. An additional CT scan may be required. Ultrasound may also be used.

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung which results into an excess of fluid or pus accumulating into the alveoli of the lung. Pneumonia impairs gas exchange which leads to hypoxemia and is acquire by inhaling a contagious organism or an irritating agent. (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2013). Fungal, bacteria and viruses are the most common organisms that can be inhale. Pneumonia could be community-acquired or health care associated. Community –acquired pneumonia (CAP) occurs out of a healthcare facility while health care associated pneumonia (HAP) is acquired in a healthcare facility. HAP are more resistant to antibiotic and patients on ventilators and those receiving kidney dialysis have a higher risk factor. Infants, children and the elderly also have a higher risk of acquiring pneumonia due to their immune system inability to fight the virus. Pneumonia can also be classified as aspiration pneumonia if it arises by inhaling saliva, vomit, food or drink into the lungs. Patients with abnormal gag reflex, dysphagia, brain injury, and are abusing drug or alcohol have a higher risk of aspiration pneumonia (Mayo Clinic, 2013). In the case of patient E.O., this patient had rhonchi in the lower lobe and the upper lobe sound was coarse and diminished. Signs and symptoms of pneumonia include difficulty breathing, chest pain, wheezing, fever, headache, chills, cough, confusion, pain in muscle or

Some patients may experience episodes of acute respiratory worsening despite previous stability. НH ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT 2011 Revised Diagnostic Criteria Нe diagnosis of IPF is based on the absence of a known cause of lung firosis computed tomography (CT) fidings and, in cases with CT abnormalities that are not classical for IPF, the use of pathological criteria [2].

Echocardiography can underestimate the degree of PVS, because blood flow is redistributed toward the less-obstructed portions of the lung, resulting in decreased flow through the stenotic vein.81 Alternatively, the pulmonary veins may have been normal initially, and the stenosis developed over time.3,5 While most studies continue to use echocardiography as the primary modality in the diagnosis of PVS8, potential advantages of cardiac CT or MRI include better delineation of pulmonary venous anatomy and blood flow distribution.79 To answer questions on the timing and nature of disease progression, more uniform methods of diagnosis surveillance, with pre-specified cut-off values for defining PVS, are needed.1,79,82

To evaluate pleural abnormalities and to guide thoracentesis and other related procedures, such as insertion of pleural drainage catheter and fine needle aspiration biopsy of pleural or sub-pleural lung mass, portable ultrasound devices are used at the bedside. Ultrasonography is always helpful to differentiate between free and loculated pleural effusions and between loculated effusions and solid masses. Thoracentesis in cases of loculated pleural effusions is facilitated by ultrasound guidance. Thoracic ultrasound is helpful in confirming the presence of a small pleural effusion.

Tracheal stenosis. A narrowing of the trachea/windpipe that causes breathing problems. It occurs in instances such as after radiation, extended use of a breathing tube, viral/bacterial infections, a tumor which may press against the trachea restricting air flow, an injury to the throat. It can also occur at birth, at rare times.

Mosaic attenuation refers to inhomogeneous attenuation seen at inspiratory CT. This pattern may represent patchy interstitial disease, small airways disease, or vascular disease. In patients with sarcoidosis,mosaic attenuation most often results from small airways involvement by granulomas or fibrosis, which may lead to obstruction .In pulmonary sarcoidosis, nodular thickening along of the airway (or bronchovascular bundle) from the lobar to subsegmental level is a common finding due to non-caseating granulomas in bronchial mucosa. [21]To verify that the CT finding is caused by air trapping, a finding of mosaic attenuation on inspiratory images must be compared with the parenchymal appearance on expiratory images.[18]

Respiratory: Lung sounds are clear on auscultation without rales, rhonchi, or wheezes. Respiration unlabored with