Approach to Respiratory Distress II

Question 1

What are the species considerations for respiratory distress in production animals?

Answer 1

• Likely to be on a herd level
• Potentially post mortem sampling
• assesment of the environment + biosecurity as well

Question 2

When might endoscopy be useful?

Answer 2

• Especially useful in horses for assessing URT.
• Nasal meati.
• Nasopharynx.
• Ethmoid turbinates.
• Nasomaxillary opening.
• Guttural Pouches.
• Trachea.
• Used in racehorses to assess poor performance
  (Recurrent Laryngeal neuropathy, EIPH).

Question 3

When might you use a rhinoscopy in the lower respiratory tract?

Answer 3

If suspicious of nasal foreign body or mass
* rigid rhinoscope
* narrow-bore flexible endoscope
* Otoscope

Question 4

When is a bronchoscopy used?

Answer 4

Investigating chronic diseases
requires GA so performed with radiography

Question 5

Name 5 samples you might take for diagnostics

Answer 5

1. Nasal/ nasopharyngeal swab
2. Transtracheal wash
3. Bronchoalveolar lavage
4. Blood sample
5. PostMortem

Question 6

What is a nasal/ nasopharyngeal swab?

Answer 6

For PCR, Virus isolation, culture and sensitivity

Question 7

How would you do a transtracheal wash?

Answer 7

• A sample of tracheal fluid is collected through a catheter inserted directly into the trachea.
• Good for culture and sensitivity as reduces contamination from the upper respiratory tract.

Question 8

How would you do a bronchoalveolar lavage?

Answer 8

• Small volume of saline is introduced into the bronchi (blind or guided) and then retrieved
• Good for cytology.

Question 9

What blood tests would you do?

Answer 9

• Serology (Antibodies vs specific respiratory pathogens; paired samples at regular intervals to
  assess response).
• Biochemistry and haematolgy.