NURSING 2LA2 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Pulmonary Heart Disease, Bronchoscopy, Technetium
24 Oct 2018
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Document Summary
In a bronchoscopy the larynx, trachea and bronchi are seen through a fibreoptic bronchoscope. This test can assess inflammation in the lungs and thus contributes to the diagnosis of bronchitis. Also infections can be detected through the collection of specimens, and culture of them in a lab. Normal findings for this test include a normal larynx, trachea, bronchi and alveoli. Lung scans are helpful in determining the blood perfusion of the lungs. It is most helpful in determining the presence of a pulmonary embolism but can be used to diagnosis of copd. To evaluate blood flow in the lungs, macroaggregated albumin tagged with technetium is placed into the patient through a vein. Photos are taken which an image of the lung is obtained. Defects in the otherwise smooth and diffusely homogenous pattern indicates a perfusion abnormality. Normal findings include a normal diffusion and uptake of the nuclear material by the lungs, or no defects are noted.
