Category: R

The study and treatment of diseases of the lungs and respiratory tract.  

In radiology, image acquisition that is synchronized to the patient’s breathing, used to minimize motion artifact.  

Any disease or condition that impairs ventilation due to failure of the nerves, muscles, or skeleton of the abdomen and thorax to function properly. It may be caused by a variety of purely neurological diseases, such as the polyneuropathy that paralyzes respiration in Guillain-Barre syndrome. Alternatively it may be caused by skeletal conditions, such as…

Those abdominal and thoracic structures that contribute to the expansion and contraction of the lungs. Movement of the chest and abdomen alters central pressures during inspiration and expiration. During inspiration decreases in intrathoracic pressure draw air into the trachea, bronchi, and lungs and blood into the vena cava and right atrium of the heart. During…

The use of various techniques to provide alarms that alert a patient’s attendants to a change in the ability of the lungs to perform their functions. These techniques include noninvasive devices for measuring the oxygen content of the blood (e.g., pulse oximetry); methods of monitoring respiratory muscle function and breathing pattern; or devices for monitoring…

In mechanical ventilation, a measure of the speed and depth of spontaneous breathing, used to gauge a patient’s dependency on life support. The higher the ratio, the less likely it is that the patient will be able to breathe without mechanical assistance.  

Severe impairment of respiratory function in a preterm newborn, caused by immaturity of the lungs. This condition is rarely present in a newborn of more than 37 weeks’ gestation or in one weighing at least 2.2 kg (5 lb). RDS is the leading cause of death in prematurely born infants in the U.S.  

Ciliated epithelium, mucus, immunoglobulins, and other devices present in the trachea, bronchi, and lungs, used to defend the respiratory tract against microorganisms and other inhaled particles.  

An obsolete form of respirometer formerly used in investigating pulmonary function.  

A method of stimulating respiration in cases of respiratory paralysis from spinal cord injury at the cervical level. Intermittent electrical stimuli to the phrenic nerves are supplied by a radiofrequency transmitter implanted subcutaneously. The diaphragmatic muscles contract in response to these stimuli.