3- acute respiratory failure Flashcards
what are some upper respiratory tract infections?
- common cold = coryza
- sore throat = pharyngitis/laryngitis
- sinusitis
- epiglottitis
why do you get a cold in winter?
virus proliferates during cold weather and winter time that gives you the cold
what can be done to test what type of infection you’ve got?
viral throat swab = can tell if got influenza A, influenza B or covid very quickly (within an hour) = these 3 are very infectious
what is good and bad about PCR?
good as multiplies numbers so test is very sensitive and specific
bad as can’t differentiate between alive & dead virus so result can remain positive if infection settled
- this is why history & symptoms are important as if clinical suspicion and positive test than high probability but if no clinical suspicion + positive test then low probability
what are some signs + symptoms of strep throat?
exudate, pus, sore throat, dysphagia, dysphonia
what are tonsillitis signs + symptoms?
swollen tonsils, erythematous, dysphagia, dysphonia
what scoring system can be used to try and help determine if antibiotics needed?
FeverPAIN
- Fever
- Purulence (pus)
- Attended rapidly (to hospital within 3 days of symptoms onset)
- Severely inflamed tonsils
- No cough or coryza
0 or 1 = 18% chance of isolating strep
2 or 3 = 40% chance of isolating strep
4 or 5 = 65% chance of isolating strep
what is quinsy?
a complication of tonsillitis, a peritonsillar abscess
= can be drained (used to be a lot) but has artery close by so have to be aware of internal carotid artery
what is epiglottitis?
infection of epiglottis = used to kill lots of babies + children = very frightening but luckily happens less now due to vaccine
what is management of epiglottitis?
- Historically this was most commonly associated with Haemophilus Influenza B
- Most cases are now caused by other bacteria - typically strep pneumonia/pyogenes, or staph aureus.
you should secure the airway with ET tube (you only get one go at this)
then, urgent administration of IV antibiotics – ceftriaxone, vancomycin, or clindamycin.
what is common cold- coryza infection of and how does it spread?
acute viral infection of nasal passages = Spread by droplets and fomites (fomites are lighter that stay in air, droplets heavy and drop into things)
what are complications of common cold?
- sinusitis
- acute bronchitis
what are common viruses causing common cold?
- Adenovirus
- Rhinovirus
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus = can be life threatening
- 30% Coronaviruses
what are symptoms of sinusitis?
- frontal headache
- retro-orbital pain
- maxillary sinus pain
- tooth ache
what helps sinusitis?
= it’s self limiting so mostly just gets better by itself in around 10 days but it can be soothed by washing out with salt water, nasal decongestant like oxymetazoline or Pseudo-ephedrine (decongestant medicine)
- sometimes antibiotics are needed
when is sinusitis dangerous?
fungal sinusitis is very bad - eats up to your brain
what is diphtheria?
= inflammation of mucous membranes
- Life threatening due to toxin production which causes sepsis
*not seen much in UK, used to not see at all due to vaccination but now seeing again due to absence of vaccination
what is a key characteristic of diphtheria?
pseudomembrane = characterized by the formation of a dense, gray debris layer composed of a mixture of dead cells, fibrin, RBCs, WBCs, and organisms
what is incubation time of rhinoviruses and group A streptococci?
1-5 days
what is incubation time of influenza + parainfluenza viruses?
1-4 days
what is incubation time of RSV + covid?
7 days
what is incubation time of diphtheria?
1-10 days
what is incubation time of epstein barrr virus?
4-6 weeks