What is the best time to treat atelectasis

Atelectasis is a disease that can be divided into congenital and acquired types. This disease can cause patients to have difficulty breathing. In adults, this disease is usually caused by obstruction in the bronchial cavity. The clinical manifestation of this disease is mainly determined by the cause. Common symptoms include chest tightness, shortness of breath, dry cough, and difficulty breathing, etc. It can even cause coughing up blood and fever. So what is the best time to treat atelectasis?

First, what is the best time to treat atelectasis? The main cause of acute or chronic atelectasis in adults is obstruction in the bronchial cavity. Common causes are viscous bronchial secretions forming mucus plugs, tumors, granulomas or foreign bodies. Atelectasis can also be caused by bronchial stenosis or tortuosity or by exogenous compression of the bronchus such as enlarged lymph nodes, tumors or hemangiomas, or by exogenous compression of lung tissue such as fluid and gas (such as pleural effusion and pneumothorax).

Second, the clinical manifestations of atelectasis vary mainly depending on the cause, the degree and extent of atelectasis, the time of occurrence, and the severity of complications. The large lobe on the side where the disease develops more rapidly will atelectasis, and symptoms may include chest tightness, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, dry cough, etc. When combined with infection, it can cause chest pain on the affected side, sudden dyspnea and cyanosis, cough, wheezing, hemoptysis, purulent sputum, chills and fever, tachycardia, increased body temperature, decreased blood pressure, and sometimes shock.

Third, slowly occurring atelectasis or small-area atelectasis may be asymptomatic or cause mild symptoms, such as atelectasis of the right middle lobe. Physical examination of the chest showed weakened or absent thoracic movement at the site of the lesion, the trachea and heart moved toward the affected side, percussion was dull to solid, and breath sounds weakened or disappeared. Diffuse microatelectasis can cause dyspnea, shallow breathing, hypoxemia, and decreased lung compliance and is often an early manifestation of respiratory distress syndrome in adults and neonates. Chest auscultation may be normal or may reveal crackles, rhonchi, and wheezes. When the area of ​​atelectasis is large, there may be cyanosis, dullness to percussion in the affected area, and decreased breath sounds. When inhaling, dry or moist rales may be heard.

What is the best time to treat atelectasis? Most atelectasis is caused by intrinsic or extrinsic obstruction of a lobe or segment of the bronchus. It blocks the absorption of gas in the distal lung segments or lobes, causing the lung tissue to shrink, which appears as an opaque area on the chest X-ray. There is generally no bronchial air sign, which is also called absorption atelectasis. If the obstruction is multiple or peripheral, bronchial air sign may occur.