Group 1

Duran
Feliciano
Gallegos
Umbac
Atelectasis is a complete or partial collapse of the entire lung or
area (lobe) of the lung. It occurs when the tiny air sacs (alveoli)
within the lung become deflated or possibly filled with alveolar
fluid.

Atelectasis is one of the most common breathing (respiratory)

complications after surgery. It's also a possible complication of
other respiratory problems, including cystic fibrosis, lung tumors,
chest injuries, fluid in the lung and respiratory weakness. You may
develop atelectasis if you breathe in a foreign object.

Atelectasis can make breathing difficult, particularly if you

already have lung disease. Treatment depends on the cause and
severity of the collapse.
There may be no obvious signs or symptoms of
atelectasis. If you do have signs and symptoms,
they may include:

• Difficulty breathing
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Wheezing
• Cough
• Atelectasis occurs from a blocked airway
(obstructive) or pressure from outside the lung
(nonobstructive).
• General anesthesia is a common cause of
atelectasis. It changes your regular pattern of
breathing and affects the exchange of lung gases,
which can cause the air sacs (alveoli) to deflate.
Nearly everyone who has major surgery develops
some amount of atelectasis. It often occurs after
heart bypass surgery.
• Mucus plug. A mucus plug is a buildup of mucus in your airways.
It commonly occurs during and after surgery because you can't
cough. Drugs given during surgery make you breathe less deeply,
so normal secretions collect in the airways. Suctioning the lungs
during surgery helps clear them, but sometimes they still build
up. Mucus plugs are also common in children, people with cystic
fibrosis and during severe asthma attacks.
• Foreign body. Atelectasis is common in children who have
inhaled an object, such as a peanut or small toy part, into their
lungs.
• Tumor inside the airway. An abnormal growth can narrow the
airway.
• Injury. Chest trauma — from a fall or car accident, for example
— can cause you to avoid taking deep breaths (due to the pain),
which can result in compression of your lungs.
• Pleural effusion. This condition involves the buildup of fluid
between the tissues (pleura) that line the lungs and the inside of
the chest wall.
• Pneumonia. Various types of pneumonia, a lung infection, can
cause atelectasis.
• Pneumothorax. Air leaks into the space between your lungs and
chest wall, indirectly causing some or all of a lung to collapse.
• Scarring of lung tissue. Scarring could be caused by injury, lung
disease or surgery.
• Tumor. A large tumor can press against and deflate the lung, as
opposed to blocking the air passages.
Factors that make you more likely to develop atelectasis include:

• Older age
• Any condition that makes it difficult to swallow
• Confinement to bed with infrequent changes of
position
• Lung disease, such as asthma, COPD,
bronchiectasis or cystic fibrosis
• Recent abdominal or chest surgery
• Recent general anesthesia
• Weak breathing (respiratory) muscles due to
muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury or another
neuromuscular condition
• Medications that may cause shallow breathing
• Pain or injury that may make it painful to cough or
cause shallow breathing, including stomach pain or
rib fracture
• Smoking
• A small area of atelectasis, especially in an adult, usually is
treatable. The following complications may result from
atelectasis:
• Low blood oxygen (hypoxemia). Atelectasis makes it more
difficult for your lungs to get oxygen to the air sacs
(alveoli).
• Pneumonia. Your risk for pneumonia continues until the
atelectasis goes away. Mucus in a collapsed lung may lead to
infection.
• Respiratory failure. Loss of a lobe or a whole lung,
particularly in an infant or in someone with lung disease,
can be life-threatening.
• Atelectasis in children is often caused by a blockage in the
airway. To decrease atelectasis risk, keep small objects out
of reach of children.

• In adults, atelectasis most commonly occurs after major

surgery. If you're scheduled for surgery, talk with your
doctor about strategies to reduce your risk. Some research
suggests that certain breathing exercises and muscle
training may lower the risk of atelectasis after certain
surgeries.
• A doctor's examination and plain chest X-ray may be all that
is needed to diagnose atelectasis. However, other tests may
be done to confirm the diagnosis or determine the type or
severity of atelectasis. They include:

• CT scan. Since a CT is a more sensitive technique than an

X-ray, it may sometimes help better detect the cause and
type of atelectasis.
• Oximetry. This simple test uses a small device placed on one
of your fingers to measure your blood-oxygen level. It helps
determine the severity of atelectasis.
• Ultrasound of the thorax. This noninvasive test can help
tell the difference between atelectasis, hardening and
swelling of a lung due to fluid in the air sacs (lung
consolidation), and pleural effusion.

• Bronchoscopy. A flexible, lighted tube inserted down your

throat allows your doctor to see what may be causing a
blockage, such as a mucus plug, tumor or foreign body. This
procedure may also be used to remove the blockages.
• Treatment of atelectasis depends on the
cause. Mild atelectasis may go away
without treatment. Sometimes,
medications are used to loosen and thin
mucus. If the condition is due to a
blockage, surgery or other treatments
may be needed.
• Techniques that help you breathe deeply after surgery to re-
expand collapsed lung tissue are very important. These
techniques are best learned before surgery. They include:
• Performing deep-breathing exercises (incentive spirometry) and
using a device to assist with deep coughing may help remove
secretions and increase lung volume.
• Positioning your body so that your head is lower than your chest
(postural drainage). This allows mucus to drain better from the
bottom of your lungs.
• Tapping on your chest over the collapsed area to loosen mucus.
This technique is called percussion. You can also use mechanical
mucus-clearance devices, such as an air-pulse vibrator vest or a
hand-held instrument.
• Removal of airway obstructions may be done by
suctioning mucus or by bronchoscopy. During
bronchoscopy, the doctor gently guides a flexible
tube down your throat to clear your airways.

• If a tumor is causing the atelectasis, treatment may

involve removal or shrinkage of the tumor with
surgery, with or without other cancer therapies
(chemotherapy or radiation).
• In some cases, a breathing tube may be
needed.

• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

may be helpful in some people who are too
weak to cough and have low oxygen levels
(hypoxemia) after surgery.