NUR 1040 Study Guide - Pulse Oximetry, Respiratory Sounds, Adventitiousness
Document Summary
To assess a patient"s respiratory status, a healthcare provider would typically perform a physical examination and ask the patient about their medical history and any current symptoms. The provider may also use various tools and techniques to gather more information about the patient"s respiratory function. Some of the things that a provider might do to assess respiratory status include: Breath sounds are the sounds produced by the movement of air through the airways and into the lungs. They can be heard using a stethoscope or other specialized listening device. There are two main types of breath sounds: vesicular breath sounds: these are the normal, low-pitched sounds heard when a person is breathing normally. They are caused by the flow of air through the smaller airways and alveoli (tiny air sacs) in the lungs: adventitious breath sounds: these are abnormal breath sounds that may indicate a respiratory problem.
