Asthma Flashcards
What is the biggest difference between acute bronchitis/pneumonia and asthma?
Asthma has thickening of bronchioles
What is asthma?
Chronic inflammation with exacerbations is a REVERSIBLE lung disease that has triggers that stimulate it
-infections
-colds
-chemicals
any irritant
What causes asthma?
Not a single factor
But there is eosinophils (also sometimes neutrophils and T-lymphocytes)
-goblet cell hyperplasia
-increased mucous leads to plugging of airway
-inflammation
All of these lead to airway edema and mast cell activation leading to hyper-reposniveness
What causes hypersensitivity and what is the hypersensitivity
Antigens
Leading to bronchoconstrition and inflammation
What are the factors that cause asthma?
Environmental factors (more allergens)
Genetic factors
What is the strongest identifiable predisposing factor for asthma?
Atopy
What is atopy?
combination of runny nose, allergy like symptom, rash, eczema
if eczema and runny nose, they will likely have asthma
What are the risk factors for asthma?
Obesity
Respiratory irritants
Pollutants (2nd hand smoke)
Environment
Weather (often cold)
GERD
Virus
Exercise-induced
Beta-blockers
Stress
Aspirin
NSAIDs
Family history
When does asthma begin?
1-5 years MC (51.4%)
77% <5 years old
What are the types of asthma?
Extrinsic (allergic)
Intrinsic (something inside)
Mixed
Occupational
Drug-induced
Exercise induced
Cough variant (after ruling things out, improved with bronchodilator)
What is the diagnostic approach that you start with for asthma?
Clinical suspicion
History
PE with s/s of allergies (wheezing, eczema)
How do you confirm dx of asthma?
- PFT (spirometry) typically at 5
perhaps allergy testing
sometimes just try bronchodilator and see if it works
What are the s/s of asthma
Dry hacking cough
Wheezing
Chest tightness
SOB
Episodic wheezing with virus/cold
What are the PE of asthma?
Increased nasal secretion
Mucosal swelling
Nasal polyps
Wheezing or just prolonged expiratory
Use of accessory muscles
Silent chest (no air movement at all)
Mild, severe,
What do you focus on for PE of lung exam
- Inspection
Shape
Hyperinflated - severe asthma
Movement of chest
Silent - life threatening
Retractions? - Palpation
Normal chest expansion may be reduced (hyperinflated)
Tactile fremitus - may be decreased - Percussion
Normal to Hyperresonant - Auscultation
Rhonchi to wheeze (usually expiratory but may be inspiratory as well)
Prolonged expiratory phase
Silent chest - severe asthma
What is the diagnostic testing of choice for asthma, and what are the criteria?
Spirometry shows reduced FEV1/FVC < 70% in adult < 85% in adult
Bronchodilator trial: FEV1 OR FVC improves by 12% for kids (just need one) and adults need 200 mL as well (it is reversible)
REVERSIBILITY IS SEEN IN ASTHMA, not COPD
If you are not able to catch asthma on spirometry, what can you do?
Bronchoprovocation test (induce an asthma attack with histamines, needs to have greater than 65% FEV1 otherwise dmg)
exercise test
peak flow measures
CXR (typically normal though)
Skin allergen testing
Measure sputum for eosinophils
Why would you order a CXR for asthma?
Undiagnosed
Low yield in acute asthma exacerbation (abnormal after repeat)
Status asthmaticus or no improvement
What do you see in CXR for asthma?
MC = nothing
Sometimes hyperinflation
What do you see on labs for asthma?
ABGs may show hyoxemia, hypercarbia
CBC = eosinphilia
Sputum: casts, thick sputum, Curschmann’s spirals and Charcot-Leyden crystals (both only seen in asthma)
What is a methacholine challenge test?
Breathe in excessive methacholine and perform spirometry after each dose
If we see decrease >20% in FEV1 up to 16 mg/mL max dose
very expensive though, very rare, very dangerous
Differences in asthma and COPD
Onset: asthma = early, COPD = late
s/s: asthma = vary from day/day based on exposure COPD = slowly progressing symptoms
Allergy, family history, reversible
COPD is not reversible
What is a golden rule of asthma?
Not all wheezes = asthma
What are some complications of asthma?
Exhaustion
Dehydration
Airway infection
Pneumothorax
After a diagnostic of asthma, what do you do next?
Determine severity
Development of treatment plan
Educate on how to use dilator
Close monitoring of patient
To stage asthma, what are important questions to ask?
- How many days a week do you have symptoms?
- How many times a month do you wake up from attacks?
- How is your life effected between exacerbations?
- Have you required oral steroids
Should test for FEV1 measurements and FEV1/FVC ratio at every visit
What is mild intermittent asthma?
Daytime asthma symptoms occurring ≤ 2 or fewer days per week
≤ 2 night awakenings per month
Use of SABA/rescue inhaler fewer than 2 times per week
No interference with normal activities between exacerbations (not missing activities)
FEV1 measurements between exacerbations are consistently within normal range (≥ 80% predicted value)
FEV1/FVC ratio between exacerbations that is normal
0-1 exacerbations requiring oral glucocorticoids per year
What is mild persistent asthma?
Symptoms more than 2 weekly (although less than daily)
Approximately 3-4 night-time awakenings per month due to asthma (but fewer than every week)
Use of SABA to relieve symptoms more than 2 times a week (but not daily)
Minor interference with normal activities
FEV1 measurements within normal range and normal FEV1/FVC ratio
2 or more exacerbations requiring oral glucocorticoids per year
What is moderate persistent asthma?
Daily symptoms of asthma
Nighttime awakenings more than once per week
Daily need for SABA for symptom relief
Some limitation in normal activity
FEV1 between 60-80% of predicted and FEV1/FVC below normal