Asthma Flashcards
Define asthma
- chronic airway inflammation
- cough, wheeze, breathlessness
- variable outflow obstruction
- airways hyper-responsiveness
Symptoms
Wheeze
breathlessness
Chest tightness
Cough
Different phenotypes of asthma
- allergic
- non allergic
- adult onset (late)
- asthma with persistent airflow limitation
- with obesity
Sympathetic action of respiratory system
Beta 2 receptors
Bronchodilation
Mucociliary clearance
Parasympathetic action of respiratory system
Muscarinic receptors
Bronchoconstriction
What surrounds bronchioles
Terminal and respiratory bronchioles surrounded by SM
What holds large airways open
Cartilage
What does flow =
pressure change/resistance
What is flow increased by?
- increased pressure change
- decreased resistance
Pouseille’s Law
Flow = 1/resistance^4
Decreased resistance = increased flow
What do mast cells cause in the acute phase?
Bronchospasm
Oedema
Mucous
What happens in the late phase?
Th2 helper cells activate B cells to produce IgE and eosinophils
- these cause bronchoconstriction and muco-secretion
Extrinsic causes
- air pollution
- allergen exposure
- maternal smoking
- hygiene hypothesis
- genetics
Intrinsic causes
- non-allergic
- less responsive
- colds/infections
Occupational causes
- allergens at work
Diagnosis
- clinical
- Evidence of airflow obstruction or airway inflammation
- respiratory symptoms, signs and test results
- absence of alternative explanation for presentation
Symptoms and presentation
Wheeze Breathlessness Chest tightness Cough Worse at night and morning Triggers Atopic features FH Low PEFR or FEV
What triggers it?
Allergens Exercise Cold air Aspirin Beta blocker
Less likely symptoms/presentation
- dizziness/light – headedness/peripheral tingling
- productive cough in absence of wheeze of breathlessness
- normal exam when breathless
- voice disturbance
- symptoms with colds
- smoking history >20 pack years
- cardiac disease
- normal PEF or FEV1 when symptomatic
Wheeze differentials
Asthma COPD Obstruction = foreign body Anaphylaxis Pulmonary oedema
Bronchodilator reversibility
> 12% or 200ml improvement in FEV1
Spirometry results
FEV1/FVC<70%
- may be normal when not symptomatic
Fraction exhaled nitric oxide
> 40 ppb
breath test marker of eosinophilic inflammation
Direct Challenge Testing
- drop in FEV! when exposed to provoking substance
- concentration required for 20% fall in FEV1 of 8mg/ml or less
Peak Flow
- twice daily readings over 2 weeks
- diurnal variation
- 20% variability
Diagnostic test
Peak Flow Spirometry Bronchodilator reversibility Fraction exhaled nitric oxide Direct challenge testing IgE Allergy/skin prick testing FBC/eosinophil count
Treatment
- patient education and self management plan
- avoidance of triggers and allergens = smoking
- weight reduction
- breath exercises
- stepwise approach
What is not recommended
- house dust mite avoidance
- air ionisers
When should patients be reviewed post discharge
<30 days if admitted
usually by specialist nurse