03. KFP: Respiratory Flashcards
Causative organisms for community-acquired pneumonia?
- Streptococcus pneumoniae: most common cause of bacterial CAP
- Legionella (environmental sources)
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae (atypical - young adult, nonproductive cough and bilateral lower zone infiltrates)
- Chlamydia pneumoniae (atypical - young adult, nonproductive cough and bilateral lower zone infiltrates)
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa (chronic suppurative lung disease)
- Respiratory viruses
Features that may suggest bronchiectasis in a patient presenting with chronic respiratory symptoms?
- Digital clubbing (rare in COPD and asthma)
- Lack of a significant history (less than an average of 20 cigarettes per day for 10 years)
- Presence of “unusual organisms” in sputum (e.g. Aspergillus, atypical/nontuberculous mycobacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae)
Clinical features:
- Chronic productive cough
- Recurrent bronchial infection
- Sputum is usually purulent and may be intermittently bloodstained
- Fatigue
- Breathlessness
- Pleuritic chest pain
- Coarse crackles on auscultation
- Clubbing (present in <5%)
What is bronchiectasis?
Bronchiectasis is a disease characterised morphologically by the abnormal dilatation of bronchi and bronchioles, and clinically by recurrent bronchial infection, and chronic cough (often with sputum)
It is classified under chronic suppurative lung disease
Clinical features:
- Chronic productive cough
- Recurrent bronchial infection
- Sputum is usually purulent and may be intermittently bloodstained
- Fatigue
- Breathlessness
- Pleuritic chest pain
- Coarse crackles on auscultation
- Clubbing (present in <5%)
What is the gold standard for diagnosis of bronchiectasis?
High resolution computed tomography chest
Features of interstitial lung disease?
History:
- Insidious/exertional nature of breathlessness
- Non-productive cough
- Decreased exercise tolerance
Exam:
- Finger clubbing
- Low level SpO2
- Fine bibasal inspiratory crepitations
Differentials for restrictive pattern on spirometry?
- Lung parenchymal diseases: interstitial lung disease, pneumonia
- Pleural disease: pleural effusion, diffuse pleural thickening, malignant pleural mesothelioma
- Disease of the chest wall or movement: neuromuscular disorders, diaphragm palsy, kyphoscoliosis, obesity
Differentials for causes of interstitial lung disease?
Environmental:
- Work: asbestos, dust
- Home or hobby: birds, mould, home brewing
Drugs:
- Chemotherapy
- Amiodarone
- Nitrofurantoin
Connective tissue disease - all can cause it
Granulomatous:
- Sarcoidosis
- Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
What is sarcoidosis and what are some common clinical manifestations?
Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disorder.
Common presentations:
- Bilateral hilar adenopathy
- Pulmonary reticular and/or nodular opacities
- Skin, joint or eye lesions
- Lung or thoracic lymph node involvement
- Sx - pulmonary: cough, dyspnoea, fatigue, chest pain
- Sx - systemic: fatigue, malaise, fever, weight loss, muscle weakness, exercise intolerance
ACEi cough: when can it start, when may it stop and how can it present?
Starts: one week to 6 months
Resolution after cessation: usually one to four weeks but can last up to 3 months
Presentation: tickling, scratchy or itchy sensation in the throat
Red flags for hospital admission in adults with community acquired pneumonia?
- Tachypnoea (RR > 22/min)
- Tachycardia (HR > 100/min)
- Hypotension (sBP < 90mmHg)
- Acute onset confusion
- Oxygen sats <93% on room air
- Multilobar involvement on xray
CURB65 tool can be used to identify low risk patients
When is it reasonable to start low molecular weight heparin and arrange imaging the next day for suspected pulmonary embolism?
Suspected pulmonary embolism without significant cardiorespiratory signs such as tachypnoea, hypotension, tachycardia or hypoxia
Options for definitive diagnosis of suspected pulmonary embolism?
- Gold standard: computed tomography pulmonary angiogram
- Pregnant or contrast allergy or low renal function: Ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scan
- Severe compromise: bedside echocardiography
List some clinical manifestations of lung cancer.
Intrathoracic:
- Cough
- Dyspnoea
- Haemoptysis
- Pleural disease
Extrathoracic (metatases - liver, bone, brain and paraneoplastic syndromes):
- Bone pain
- Hypercalcaemia (parathyroid hormone-related protein, bony mets) - can lead to constipation, anorexia, nausea, lethargy, polyuria, polydipsia, dehydration
- SIADH: hyponatraemia
First line investigations for suspected interstitial lung disease?
- Spirometry: likely restrictive
- Chest xray: may show interstitial changes bibasally
Requirements for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis?
- Compatible clinical and radiographic manifestations
- Exclusion of other diseases that may present similarly
- For most patients, histopathologic detection of noncaseating granulomas
What is involved with testing for occult extrapulmonary disease in sarcoidosis?
- FBC and peripheral blood smear
- EUC, LFT, calcium, glucose
- Ophthalmologic examination
- ECG
What would you ask to screen for work-related asthma (i.e. work-exacerbated asthma where asthma control worsens due to workplace conditions or occupational asthma)
Asking if symptoms improve when away from work
What investigations may be relevant when investigating for work-related asthma?
- Serial peak expiratory
- Skin prick tests
- Bronchial provocation challenge testing
What are some features of sensitiser induced occupational asthma?
- Onset: onset or recurrence during working life. Usually first develops some weeks to months after first exposure
- Relation to work schedule: symptoms worse during or after a work shift and improve when away from work
- Other: exposure to a known sensitiser
What are some features of irritant induced occupational asthma?
- Onset: Usually within 24 hours of exposure to large quantity of respiratory irritant
- Relation to work schedule: often none
- Other: persistence of symptoms for at least 12 weeks, but no previously documented asthma or chronic lung disease
What are some features of work exacerbated asthma?
- Onset: Before or during working life
- Relation to work schedule: worse on one or more days while at work
- Other: exposure at work to asthma exacerbating factors such as dust, smoke, fumes, cold
When is pleurodesis recommended in the context of primary spontaneous pneumothorax?
- If pneumothorax recurs in the same lung
- Risk of recurrence is 30-50%. higher in smokers