Atelectasis: symptoms, causes, to medication • hello healthy

Definition

What is atelectasis?

Atelectasis is a lung condition that has completely or partially collapsed. Collapses can also occur in the lobes of the lungs. Atelectasis occurs when the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs collapse. This is a respiratory (respiration) complication that occurs after surgery.

Atelectasis is also a complication that may arise from other respiratory problems, including cystic fibrosis, inhalation of foreign objects, lung tumors, fluid in the lungs, respiratory weakness, and chest injuries.

How common is this condition?

Atelectasis is a condition that can afflict patients at any age. This can be overcome by reducing your risk factors. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Signs and Symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of atelectasis?

Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, if you experience this condition, there may be no signs or symptoms that appear. However, if present, some of the symptoms of atelectasis are:

• Difficulty breathing (dyspnea)
• Breath is fast and short
• Cough

There may be signs and symptoms not listed above. If you have concerns about certain symptoms, consult your doctor.

When should I see a doctor?

If you experience any of the signs or symptoms listed above, or have any questions, please consult your doctor. Everyone's body reacts differently. It is always best to discuss what is best for your situation with your doctor.

Atelectasis is likely to occur while you are already in the hospital. However, seek medical help immediately if you have difficulty breathing. Conditions other than atelectasis can cause breathing difficulties and require an accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment. If your breathing becomes increasingly difficult, seek emergency care.

Cause

What causes atelectasis?

This condition can occur as a result of blockage of the airways (obstructive) or pressure from outside the lungs (non-obstructive).

Nearly everyone who has surgery develops atelectasis from anesthesia. Anesthesia changes your normal breathing pattern as well as gas absorption and pressure, which can combine to cause the collapse of the small air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs. This condition is most noticeable after surgery bypass heart.

Some of the things that can cause obstructive atelectasis are:

• Mucus blockage. Accumulation of mucus in the airways, often occurring during and after surgery because you can't cough, is a common cause of atelectasis. Medicines given during surgery make the lungs expand less fully than usual, so that normal secretions collect in the airways. Suctioning the lungs during surgery helps clear these secretions, but mucus can continue to build up afterward. Mucus plugs are also common in children, people with cystic fibrosis and during severe asthma attacks.
• Foreign object. This condition is common in children who have inhaled a foreign object into the lungs. These objects can include nuts or small parts of toys.
• Narrowing of the main airways due to certain diseases. Chronic infections, including fungal infections, tuberculosis, and other diseases, can injure and narrow the main airways.
• Tumors in the main airways. Abnormal growths can constrict the airways.
• Blood clot. This occurs only if there is bleeding into the lungs which cannot be coughed out.

Possible causes of non-obstructive atelectasis include:

• Injury. Chest trauma — from a fall or car accident, for example — can make it difficult to take deep breaths (due to pain), which can result in compression of the lungs.
• Pleural effusion. This is a buildup of fluid between the tissue (pleura) that lines the lungs and the inside of the chest wall.
• Pneumonia. Different types of pneumonia, lung infections, can cause this condition temporarily.
• Pneumothorax. Air leaks into the space between the lungs and the chest wall, indirectly causing complete or partial lung collapse.
• Lung tissue injury. Injury can be caused by injury, lung disease or surgery. In these rare cases, atelectasis is mild compared to damage to lung tissue from injury.
• Tumor. Large tumors can compress and collapse the lungs, instead of blocking the air passage.

Triggers

What increases the risk of atelectasis?

Factors that can increase your risk of atelectasis are:

• Age, under 3 years or over 60 years
• Conditions that interfere with spontaneous coughing, yawning, and wheezing
• Treatment in bed that rarely changes body position
• Impaired swallowing function, especially in the elderly, retracting secretions into the lungs is a major source of infection
• Lung disease, such as asthma in children, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), bronchectasis or cystic fibrosis
• Born prematurely
• Recent abdominal or chest surgery
• Recent general anesthesia
• Respiratory muscle weakness, due to muscular dystrophy, spinal injury or other neuromuscular conditions
• Any causes of shallow breathing - including medications and side effects, or mechanical limitations, such as abdominal pain or rib fracture

Diagnosis and Treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor for more information.

How is this condition diagnosed?

A test that can diagnose atelectasis and determine the underlying cause, your doctor may run several tests, including:

• X-ray chest. X-ray chest usually can diagnose this disease. Occasionally, a foreign body, a common cause of obstructive atelectasis in children and adults, can be seen in this type of imaging.
• CT scan . CT scan more sensitive than X-ray plain in detecting atelectasis due to its ability to measure lung volume in whole or part of the lung. A CT scan can also help determine if a tumor is likely to be causing your lung to collapse - something that may not appear deep X-ray the usual.
• Oximetry . This simple test uses a small instrument that is placed on one of your fingers to measure the oxygen saturation in the blood.
• Bronchoscopy . A small, flexible tube threaded down the throat allows the doctor to see and possibly remove, at least partially, any obstruction in the airways, such as a blockage of mucus, a tumor or a foreign body.

What are the treatments for atelectasis?

Treatment for atelectasis is usually given depending on the cause. Atelectasis that occurs in small areas of the lung can be eliminated without treatment. If there is an underlying condition, such as a tumor, treatment may include removing or shrinking the tumor with surgery, chemotherapy or radiation.

Chest physiotherapy

One of the treatments for atelectasis is chest physiotherapy. Techniques that can help people breathe deeply after surgery to dilate constricted lung tissue are very important. This technique is best learned before surgery. This physiotherapy includes:

• Cough
• Pat (knock) on the chest over the constricted area to thin mucus. You can also use a mechanical slime removal tool, such as air-pulse vibrator vest or a handheld tool.
• Doing deep breathing exercises (incentive spirometry) and using a device to help with a deep cough can be helpful.
• Position the body in such a way that your head is lower than your chest (postural drain). This position allows mucus to drain better from the floor of the lungs.

Additional oxygen

Providing additional oxygen can also help relieve shortness of breath, a symptom that arises from this condition.

Surgical or other procedures

The doctor may recommend removing obstruction of the airways through mucus suction or bronchoscopy. Bronchoscopy uses a flexible tube threaded down the throat to clear the airways. Continuous use of positive pressure may help some people who are too weak to cough and have low oxygen levels (hypoxemia) after surgery.

Prevention

What can I do to prevent and treat atelectasis?

The following lifestyle and home remedies can help you deal with atelectasis are:

• Atelectasis in children is often caused by obstruction of the airways. To reduce the risk of this condition, keep small objects out of the reach of children.
• In adults, the condition most often occurs after surgery. If you are scheduled for surgery, talk to your doctor about ways to reduce your risk of atelectasis.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor to understand the best solution for you.

Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.