240 Evaulating Respiratory Tract

Question 1

What is the difference between a sneeze and reverse sneeze?

Answer 1

• during sneezing the head usually moves sharply downward - series of strong abrupt inspiratory efforts (snorts). Usually neck extends, head tilts backward, lips pulled backward and nostrils flared.

Question 2

What does open mouth breathing usually indicate?

Answer 2

• in dogs = upper airway obstruction - in cats = rare & indicates respiratory systems ventilators reserve capacity is approaching exhaustion

Question 3

What are the different indications of the different respiratory patterns?

Answer 3

Question 4

What does an airway obstruction cause?

What are common extrathoracic obstructions?

Answer 4

• causes increased airway resistance or increased pressure necessary to generate airflow
• extrathoracic: laryngeal tumors, laryngeal paralysis, nasal or nasopharyngeal obstrution. Associated with increased inspiratory effort, prolongation, and noise.
• intrathoracic: small airway disease, mucous plugging, intrathoracic tracheal collapse. associated with expiratory prolongation, effort and expiratory noise.

Question 5

What does restrictive lung disease result in?

Answer 5

• results in decreased lung compliance or change in lung volume associated with measured increase in airway pressure. Rapid shallow breathing.
• conditions causing restrictive breathing: bronchopneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural space disease.

Question 6

When does paradxical breathing occur?

Answer 6

• As respiratory muscles fatigue ad fail, negative intrathoracic pressure generated during inspiration will suck in chest wall.
• diaphragmatic fatigue lead to abdominal muscle recruitment, causing outward movement of abdominal wall during expiration.
• The chest and abdominal wall movements are the opposite of those seen normally and indicative of severe or longstanding respiratory dysfunction.

Question 7

What changes can occur on CBC, biochem, urinalysis?

Answer 7

CBC:

• polycythemia can result from chronic hypoxemia and tissue hypoxia
• neutrophilic leukocytosis is common in pets with airway infection, canine infectious respiratory, feline upper respiratory disease
• bronchopneumonia can have leukocytosis or leukopenia
• peripheral eosinophilia is common with eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy and is observed in pets with parasitic lung disease, fungal diseases, and in cats with asthma.
• lymphocytosis in young pet with respiratory disease and fever is consistent with viral condition.
• hypercalcemia in a patient with respiratory signs may be suggestive of neoplastic fungal aetiology.

Question 8

What are the common fungal causes of respiratory disease in dogs and cats detectable by PCR?

Question 9

What is the cause of pulmonary nodules and masses?

Answer 9

Multiple solid nodules:

• metastasis = common
• mycosis = uncommon
• septic emboli = common

Solitary solid mass

• primary tumor - common
• abscess = rare

Multiple cavitary nodules

• metastasis = rare
• parasitic = rare
• bullae = uncommon

Colitary cavitary mass

• primary tumor =common
• abscess = rare
• bulla =uncommon