Pleural effusion

Abnormal sounds are the absence of sound and the presence of specific sounds where they should not be. These sounds are due to accumulation mucus in the passages, compression by a growth, and pleural effusion. The absence of sound may be due to occlusion, partial or total collapse of the lung/s, or massive effusion compressing the alveoli. Crackles and wheezes are adventitious lung sounds which are abnormal sounds over the normal lung sounds (Bradley, 2007). Crackles are caused by atelectasis,…

Lub-DUB. Lub-DUB. The heart, a complex and vital organ which works in a mechanism with the body. The components of the heart in my academic interest has intrigued me to pursue a career in medicine. Biological knowledge learnt and applying it to the clinical practice shows a lifelong learning experience. The responsibility that the doctors possess as they work under pressure in a dynamic environment working with people from different ethnicities had intrigued my desire to choose the pathway to…

The patient (pt) in room 584 is an 84-year-old Caucasian woman who was transferred to Lynchburg General hospital on December 12, 2016 from Stonewall hospital in Lexington in order to receive pulmonary care. Though she was admitted for unspecified dementia without behavioral disturbances, she was originally hospitalized at Stonewall since September 21, 2016 for atrial fibrillation with a low ventricular response rate, and dyspnea. She has co-morbidities of Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body…

large airways of the respiratory system are filled with sputum. Thirdly, the dull thud sounds represent specific conditions that are pointed out pneumonia. These conditions include consolidation in which the lungs are filled up with fluid and pleural effusion which happens when the fluid occupies the space between the lung and the lining around it. Accordingly, since the physical examinations depend on…

Vital signs are objective measures of physiological function that are used to monitor acute and chronic disease and thus serve as a basic communication tool about patient status.1 Vital signs consist of the measurements of heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Vital signs are used to monitor patient’s health status and also to monitor their recovery from certain diseases. Numerous physiological and pathological changes may occur with age and alter vital signs.1…

scanners. The entire lung was scanned at a section thickness of 2-5 mm. Chest CT findings of pulmonary lesions, including their position, size, number, morphology, density, margin, relationship to the pleura, mediastinal or hilar adenopathy, and pleural effusion, were recorded together and in consensus by 2 experienced radiologists through both lung and mediastinal windows. A total of 25 patients received CT-guided percutaneous pulmonary needle biopsy (Fig. 1A&B). Biopsy needles were 18 or…

TERMINOLOGY CLINICAL CLARIFICATION 1 • Life-threatening condition characterized by the inability of the pulmonary system to meet the metabolic demands of the body with respect to oxygenation of the blood and systemic organs and/or CO2 elimination • May be accompanied by ventilatory failure 7 • Develops within minutes or hours as opposed to chronic respiratory failure that develops over several days, weeks or years CLASSIFICATION 2, 1 • Classification is mainly based on arterial blood gas (ABG)…

What is the treatment for anthrax exposure? Medscape states early intervention has been seen to drastically improve patient outcomes in 8 of 15 patients with inhalation anthrax since 2001 with pleural effusion management, antibiotic, hemodynamic support, mechanical ventilation and antitoxin treatments (2014). According to Fowler, the US FDA has approved penicillin, doxycycline and ciprofloxacin for the treatment of inhalational anthrax (Fowler & Shafazand…

twenty-eight-year-old drug user who went through septic shock. He was the same age as me. His whole body was swollen and he was unconscious, hooked up to machines. Knowing that about one third of people die from septic shock made me nervous. His pleural effusion was nearly black, I have never seen it that color before. During the procedure, I noticed pictures on the wall of him as a young boy at the lake on a summer day, excited about the four fish he caught. The pictures made me very sad, it…

A pneumothorax is a condition in which air gets trapped between the lungs and the chest wall. This pressure causes the lung to collapse inward onto itself. As member of both the Army National Guard and Army ROTC, I am very interested in this topic since it is a serious injury that can occur due to traumas on the battlefield. In army lingo, this injury is referred to as a sucking chest wound. We are instructed to treat it during basic combat lifesaving courses. I understand that medical treatment…