Respiratory System Essays - Infectious Diseases, RTT, Free Essays

Respiratory System Essays - Infectious Diseases, RTT, Free Essays Respiratory System Respiratory System The main organs of the respiratory system are the lungs, trachea, bronchioles, mouth, nose and epiglottis. The accessory organs are the bladder, lungs, large intestine, kidney and pancreases. Anatomy and Physiology of the Respiratory System The respitory system tract is divided into the upper and lower regions. The upper respoitory tract includes the nasal passages, sinuses, and the throat area where the epiglottis and larynx are located. The lungs are a pair of large , spongy organs found in the thorax lateral to the heart and superior to the diagram. Each lung is surrounded by a pleural membrane that provides the ling with space to expand as well as a negative pressure space relative to the bodies exterior The Bronchi and bronchioles is located at the interior end of the trachea, the airway splits into left and right branches known as the primary bronchi. The left and right bronchi runs into each lung before branching off. The main function of the bronchi is to carry air from the trachea into the lungs. Larynx also known as the voice box , is a short section of the airway that connects the larynopharynx and the trachea. The larynx is located in the anterior portion of the neck. Several structure make up the larynx and gives it its structure. Pneumonia and its Causes Pneumonia is a lower respitory infection by bacterial , viral, or fungal pathogens. Pneumonia can be acquired from the general community or from exposure in a long term care facility. The most common symptoms of pneumonia are: Cough (with some pneumonias you may cough up greenish or yellow mucus, or even bloody mucus) Fever, which may be mild or high Shaking chills Shortness of breath, which may only occur when you climb stair Sharp or stabbing chest pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or cough Headache Excessive sweating and clammy skin Loss of appetite, low energy, and fatigue Confusion, especially in older people Symptoms also can vary, depending on whether your pneumonia is bacterial or viral. Causes of Pneumonia What Causes Pneumonia? Viruses cause many cases of pneumonia, but bacteria are the most common cause of pneumonia in adults over the age of 30. Fungi can also cause pneumonia. Many of these germs are all around us. They usually can't get past a healthy person's natural defenses. Pneumonia is most common in those with weaker or compromised immune systems, elderly people, cigarette smokers, alcoholics, and people suffering from other diseases such as the flu. Pneumonia Diagnosis and Prevention Pneumonia can be hard to diagnose because it may seem like a cold or the flu. You may not realize it's more serious until it lasts longer than these other conditions. Your doctor will diagnose pneumonia based on your medical history, a physical exam, and test results. Chest X Ray-achest x rayis a painless test that creates pictures of the structures inside your chest, such as your heart, lungs, and blood vessels. A chest x ray is the best test for diagnosing pneumonia. However, this test won't tell your doctor what kind of germ is causing the pneumonia. Blood Tests- Blood testsinvolve taking a sample of blood from a vein in your body. A complete blood count (CBC) measures many parts of your blood, including the number of white blood cells in the blood sample. The number of white blood cells can show whether you have a bacterial infection. Amoxicillin Amoxicillin(Amoxil) is from the same family of antibiotics as penicillin. AMOXIL is used to treat a range of infections caused by bacteria. These may be infections of the chest (pneumonia), tonsils (tonsillitis), sinuses (sinusitis), urinary and genital tract, skin and fleshy tissues. AMOXIL works by killing the bacteria that cause these infections. It can also be used to prevent infection. The drug is absorbed rapidly by the gastrointestinal tract after oral administration and is stable in the presence of gastric acid. Common amoxicillin side effects may include: stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; vaginal itching or discharge; headache; or swollen, black, or "hairy" tongue. Amoxicillin cont. Do not use this medication if you are allergic to amoxicillin or to any other penicillin antibiotic, such as ampicillin (Principen, Unasyn), dicloxacillin (Dycill, Dynapen), oxacillin (Bactocill), or penicillin (Bicillin L-A, PC Pen VK, Pfizerpen), and others. Before using amoxicillin, tell your doctor if you are allergic to cephalosporin's such as Omnicef, Cefzil, Ceftin, Keflex, and others. Also tell your doctor if you have asthma, liver or kidney disease, a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, mononucleosis (also called "mono"), or any type of allergy. Amoxicillin can make birth control pills less effective Zithromax (azithromycin) Thismedicationis an antibiotic used to treat certainbacterial infections. This medication is known as a macrolide (erythromycin-type) antibiotic. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. This medication is used to treatlunginfections (pneumonia) or female pelvic infections caused by bacteria. Azithromycin comes