Is atelectasis serious

summary

Recently, I always feel that my chest is very stuffy, and sometimes I have dyspnea. Yesterday, I went to the hospital for a comprehensive examination, and later found out that I was atelectasis. Now I'll share some relevant knowledge with you.

Is atelectasis serious

First, atelectasis refers to the decrease in volume or air content of one or more lung segments or lobes. Due to the absorption of gas in the alveoli, atelectasis is usually accompanied by the decrease of light transmittance in the affected area, and the adjacent structures (bronchi, pulmonary vessels, pulmonary interstitium) gather to the atelectasis area. Sometimes, consolidation of the alveolar cavity and compensatory emphysema of other lung tissues can be seen.

Second, atelectasis can be divided into congenital or acquired. Congenital atelectasis refers to the fact that there is no gas filling in the alveoli of infants at birth. Clinically, infants have severe dyspnea and cyanosis, and most of them die of severe hypoxia after birth.

Third, the main cause of adult acute or chronic atelectasis is bronchial obstruction. The common causes are mucus embolus, tumor, granuloma or foreign body formed by sticky bronchial secretion. Atelectasis can also be caused by bronchial stenosis or distortion, or by extraneous compression of bronchi by swollen lymph nodes, tumors or hemangiomas, or by extraneous compression of lung tissue by fluid and gas (such as pleural effusion and pneumothorax).

matters needing attention

Atelectasis can be well prevented in daily life, because the original chronic bronchitis, a large number of smoking increases the risk of postoperative atelectasis, so we should encourage preoperative cessation of smoking, and take measures to enhance bronchial clearance. Long acting anesthetics should be avoided and postoperative analgesics should be used sparingly because they inhibit cough reflex.