Group 1

Duran
Feliciano
Gallegos
Umbac
Overview
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
Symptoms

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
Causes
• 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.
Obstructive atelectasis may be caused by
many things, including:

• 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.
Possible causes of nonobstructive atelectasis
include:
• 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
Risk factors
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 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
Complications
• 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.
Prevention
• 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.
Diagnosis
• 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
• 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
• 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
Chest physiotherapy
• 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
Surgery
• 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
Breathing treatments
• 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.