Description
Chapter 17: Acute and infectious respiratory illness
Tonsillitis
Signs
o Sore throat, difficulty swallowing, fever, bad breath, and redness and
swelling of the tonsils.
Meds for the fever and antibiotics
May need a tonsillectomy if recurrent
o Keep in side lying position after surgery
o Assess for bleeding. Look for frequent swallowing and clearing of the
throat.
o Clear fluids and liquids, avoid red colored liquids, no citrus juices, no milk
products, and no rough or sharp foods.
o Discourage any coughing, throat clearing or nose blowing
o There may be blood clots in emesis or mucous
o Limit strenuous activity, full recovery in two weeks
Bacterial epiglottitis
Signs
o Drooling, hoarseness difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, and high
fever.
Do not put anything in their throat, no culture, no tongue blade
Antibiotic therapy, starting with IV antibiotics
Have intubation supplies close by
Influenza
Signs
o Fever, body aches, nasal congestion, dry cough, photophobia
Antiviral meds can only be given within the first 48 hours
Complications
Pneumothorax and pleural effusion
Place a chest tube
Signs
o Chest pain, difficulty breathing, tachycardia, decreased oxygen saturation
How to prevent the spread of these
Hand hygiene
Chapter 18: Asthma
Can be triggered by allergens, cold weather, exercise, smoking
Symptoms
o Difficulty breathing, wheezing, anxiety, use of accessory muscles
Treatment
o Bronchodilators: albuterol, comes with tachycardia and tremors.
o Anticholinergic: ipratropium
o Anti-inflammatory: corticosteroid such as prednisone. Rinse mouth after
steroid inhaler.
o Peak flow meter: child stands up, ensure the machine is zeroed out, place
lips around device and blow as hard and as fast as they can. They do these
three times, taking the highest reading.
Complications
o Status asthmaticus: airway obstruction that is not relieved by medications
that are given. Prepare for intubation and mechanical ventilation.
Chapter 19: Cystic fibrosis
Caused by a genetic mutation where both parents have to carry recessive traits
for the disease**
Disease causes an increase in the quantity of thick, tenacious mucous. If affects the
pancreas, the lungs, the liver, the reproductive system, and the small intestine.
Symptoms
o Wheezing, nonproductive cough, dyspnea, mucus plus, cyanosis, barrel
shaped chest and clubbing of fingers.
o GI: large, loose, fatty, sticky, and foul-smelling stools
o Failure to thrive, delayed growth patterns, and deficiency of fat-soluble
vitamins. Sweat and tears are extremely salty.
Diagnosing
o Sweat chloride test
o DNA testing: to check for mutation
o Pulmonary function tests
Chest physiotherapy is very important for these patients
GI management
o Eat a diet that is high in calories and protein. Take pancreatic enzymes with
meals to help with digestion. Also need a vitamin supplement.
Meds
o Albuterol
o Anticholinergics: ipratropium
Chapter 20: Cardiovascular
Congenital Heart Defects:
Result in two things: hypoxemia and heart failure
Symptoms
o Tachypnea, dyspnea, tachycardia, peripheral edema, cyanosis, intolerance
to exercise, and polycythemia.
Increase pulmonary blood flow
o Ventricular septal defect (VSD)
Creates a loud, harsh murmur heard at the left sternal border.
o Atrial septal defect (ASD)
Loud, harsh murmur with a fixed split-second sound.
o Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)
Bounding pulses and a machine hum murmur
Decreased pulmonary blood flow
o Tricuspid atresia
Complete closure of the tricuspid valve
Will also have an ASD
o Tetralogy of the fallot
Pulmonary stenosis
Right ventricular hypertrophy
Overriding aorta
Ventricular septal defect
Obstruct blood flow
o Pulmonary stenosis
Narrowing of the pulmonary valve
Creates a systolic ejection murmur
o Aortic stenosis
Narrowing of the aortic valve
o Coarctation of the aorta
Bounding pulses and high blood pressure on the upper half of body
Lower half of body has low blood pressure, faint pulses, cold feet
Narrowing of the aorta near ductus arteriosus
Mixed blood flow
o Transposition of the great arteries
Aorta is connected to the right ventricle instead of the left
Pulmonary artery is connected to the left ventricle instead of the right
Requires surgery within the first two weeks of life. Can cause major
cyanosis.