LESSON 2
NURSING CARE RELATED TO THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Section I. ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
2-1.
INTRODUCTION
a. The respiratory tract is the most common portal of entry and exit of
microscopic disease agents. Many of these microorganisms leave the body of the
infected person by means of droplets and by nose and throat secretions. Droplets are
exhaled in coughing, sneezing, talking, or simply breathing. These droplets do not
always fall to the ground immediately, but may remain suspended in the air for many
hours and can be inhaled by a well person, who may then become infected. The
infection may also be spread to a well individual who improperly handles secretions of
the nose and throat of an infected person. Many respiratory diseases are infectious in
nature and are easily spread.
b. Medical intervention and skilled nursing care are employed in treating
respiratory infections. Skilled nursing care includes knowledge of the duration and
stages of the disease, isolation procedures, infection control policies, comfort measures
for the patient, therapeutic measures, and observation of signs, symptoms, and
potential complications.
2-2.
THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
a. The cells of the body require a constant supply of oxygen to carry on the
chemical processes necessary to life. As a result of these processes, carbon dioxide, a
waste product, is formed, and must be removed from the body. Oxygen and carbon
dioxide are continually being exchanged, both between the body and the atmosphere
and within the body. This process is known as respiration, and the body system that
performs this exchange of gases is the respiratory system.
b. The respiratory system is a continuous series of passages that begins with
the nose and ends in the alveoli of the lungs. The upper respiratory system includes the
nose, pharynx, larynx, and the trachea. The lower respiratory system includes the right
and left bronchi, their subdivisions, and the lungs. Review Figure 2-1 as you read the
next paragraph.
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2-3