lung expansion therapy involves several techniques in respiratory care that are designed to prevent
or correct atelectasis in this video we will provide an overview of the different procedures
that can be used to promote lung expansion and treat or prevent alveolar collapse so if you're
ready let's get into it first and foremost we need to talk about atelectasis atelectasis is
a term that refers to a collapse in the alveoli of the lungs it could be a total collapse of an
entire lung or a partial collapse of one or more lopes as you take a breath in air moves through
the mouth and trachea down through the airways of the lungs until it reaches the tiny air sacs
that are known as alveoli this is where the gas exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place
therefore if air fails to reach this region it can result in many different problems within the body
when this occurs the alveoli that are not filled with air cannot expand and this is
what's known as atelectasis atelectasis is common in post-operative patients where it can occur
during or after the procedure the reason is that surgery often causes shallow breathing which
results in inadequate airflow to the alveolar region of the lungs atelectasis can also be
caused by an airway obstruction mucous plug lung tumor pleural effusion pneumothorax tuberculosis
and respiratory muscle weakness the elderly population and those who smoke cigarettes are
also at a higher risk for adolescence the symptoms of atelectasis will depend on the severity and
location of the collapse in some cases there may be no symptoms at all however in other instances
patients may experience shortness of breath chest pain wheezing fatigue cyanosis and tachypnea the
treatment for atelectasis may vary depending on the patient's signs and symptoms however the most
effective treatment method involves correcting the underlying cause of the patient's alveolar
collapse in general post-surgical atelectasis can be treated and prevented with different types of
lung expansion therapy which is the topic of this video as previously mentioned lung
expansion therapy involves several respiratory care procedures and techniques that are designed
to treat atelectasis pneumonia acute respiratory failure and other conditions of the lungs
the modalities that can be used in lung expansion therapy include early patient mobilization deep
breathing and directed cough incentive spirometry cpap positive airway pressure ippb and a high
flow nasal cannula the techniques that are used will be based on the individual patients needs
and the severity of their condition so now let's talk about each of the different types
one of the best ways to prevent atelectasis is through early patient mobilization this means that
patients should be encouraged to get out of bed and move around as soon as possible after surgery
prolonged bed rest is linked to an increased risk of several complications including pneumonia
pulmonary embolism deep venous thrombosis and atelectasis however early ambulation improves
ventilation and gas distribution which decreases the risk of alveolar collapse
deep breathing exercises and directed coughing can help treat patients with atelectasis
by clearing secretions and recruiting collapsed alveoli patients who are able to do deep breathing
exercises on their own can be instructed to take slow deep breaths in through the nose
and out through the mouth then they can follow up a deep breathing cycle with a forceful cough
patients who are unable to cough will need to use a different treatment method the next type is
incentive spirometry which is a technique in which patients use a handheld device to take sustained
maximum inspirations the goal is to reach a predetermined volume of air that is initially
set by the respiratory therapist this technique can improve lung function and prevent adolescence
by mimicking natural science stimulating deep breathing expanding the lungs increasing alveolar
ventilation and improving inspiratory muscle performance the potential outcomes of incentive
spirometry include decreased atelectasis improved breast sounds improved chest x-ray increased spo2
increased vital capacity a stronger cough and improved respiratory muscle performance
cpap is another type of lung expansion therapy that we need to discuss it's a technique in which
a machine delivers air through a mask that covers the nose and mouth the air pressure is adjusted
so that it is slightly higher than the atmospheric pressure this technique is commonly used to treat
sleep apnea but it can also be used to treat adolescents cpap helps prevent atelectasis
by keeping the airways open improving gas exchange and providing positive end expiratory pressure
other potential outcomes of cpap therapy include increased oxygenation improved vital
capacity a stronger cough and improved patient comfort next we have positive airway pressure
which is a technique in which a device delivers positive pressure to improve lung expansion it
involves the use of pep flutter and cpap pep and flutter can be used for airway clearance
therapy however we're looking at how palp can be used to treat and prevent adolescence
in general positive airway pressure therapy helps increase the patient's functional residual
capacity this results in the opening of collapsed alveoli increased lung compliance decreased work
of breathing improved collateral ventilation and enhanced secretion removal another type of lung
expansion therapy is ippb or intermittent positive pressure breathing it's a type of
non-invasive ventilation that delivers positive pressure during inspiration and then returns to
atmospheric pressure during expiration the machine is capable of providing full ventilatory support
however that is not its intended use ippb was designed to help patients take deeper breaths
stimulate a cough and prevent or decrease atelectasis it's effective in doing so because it
improves gas exchange increases lung compliance and reduces the patient's work of breathing
other potential outcomes of ippb therapy include improved breath sounds
increased oxygenation improved vital capacity improved chest x-ray and a stronger cough
next up is a high-flow nasal cannula it's a type of non-invasive ventilation that delivers a
high flow of warm humidified oxygen through a nasal cannula that has larger prongs this allows
higher flow rates to be delivered which provides the patient with a high level of comfort the high
flow nasal cannula has many potential benefits for patients with atelectasis it provides enhanced
flow which helps wash out co2 from anatomic dead space it can also provide a more stable fil2
in addition this device also delivers a small amount of positive pressure as the patient
breathes against higher inspiratory flows this helps with the recruitment of collapsed alveoli
which explains why a high flow nasal cannula is effective in treating and preventing atelectasis
so just to give a quick recap the most effective types of lung expansion therapy include
early patient mobilization deep breathing and directed cough incentive spirometry
cpap positive airway pressure therapy ippbb and the use of a high flow nasal cannula
lung expansion therapy is a very important topic which is why you must develop an understanding of
the different types hopefully you can use this video along with other resources on our channel
and website to make the learning process much easier and if you don't mind do me a huge favor
and hit the like button it really helps support the channel and i greatly greatly appreciate it
and you might as well go ahead and subscribe for more videos like this hopefully what you learned
in this video was useful and can help you develop a better understanding of this topic if so be sure
to let us know down in the comment section below and if you want to learn even more we do have a
full guide on our website i will drop a link to it right below this video down in the description
and just a quick reminder we are not doctors this video is for informational purposes only
thank you so much for watching have a blessed day and as always breathe easy my friends
you