Airway Diseases

Question 1

Description of airway disease

Answer 1

1. Narrowing of airways causing obstruction but not complete obstruction.

Question 2

Narrowing of airways leads to what?

Answer 2

1. Reduced air flow = reduced peak flow (PEF) and reduced forced expiratory volume (FEV1).
2. Increased breathing work.

Question 3

What are the mechanisms of airway narrowing?

Answer 3

1. Bronchospasm (irritable airways, hyper reactivity is part of this.)
2. Inflammation (swelling of mucosa)
3. Destruction of airway (small airways <2mm - smoking reduced)
4. Airway remodelling (there is an abnormal hypertrophy affects behaivior of airways)
5. Collapse of airway (lost of elastic tissue which keeps airway opens emphysema) or if upper airway then sleep apnea)

Question 4

What are the signs and symptoms of airway obstruction?

Answer 4

1. Wheezing: noise produced by air flow through a narrowed tuber may get better or worse with this is heard during auscultation, there can be dyspnoea and cough.
2. Silent chest: when the wheezing stops - severe asthma
3. Coarse crackles: crackling heard over the mouth and airway which disappear with cough as they are produced by phlegm in airways.
4. Accessory muscle use: especially abdominals also curing expiration which is normally passive - prolonged expiration during tidal breathing on auscultation.
5. There can also be hyperinflation

Question 5

What is hyperinflation?

Answer 5

Trapping of air in lungs during expiration due to elasticity function being impaired this is seen in copd especially if dominant pathology is emphysema.

Question 6

Major diseases in this category

Answer 6

Asthma, cops and can be a mixture