Asthma and COPD: Aetiologies, Symptoms and Aids to Diagnose Flashcards
What is obstructive airway disease?
- narrowing of the airways
- large, medium and small airways affects
- inhale but difficult to exhale
In obstructive lung disease we can see hyperinflammation and trapping of air, why is this?
- air becomes trapped in <2cm sized airways
- increased mucus causing mucus plugs
- ⬇️ elastic recoil
- forced vital capacity may appear normal
What type of hypersensitivity is asthma?
- type I hypersensitivity
- hyper responsive to stimuli
Is asthma reversible or permanent?
- reversible
What is atopy?
- genetic susceptibility
- susceptible to allergic reactions
What as the 4 basic symptoms of asthma?
1 - wheezing
2 - breathlessness
3 - cough
4 - chest tightness
Do patients with asthma always have symptoms?
- no
- can have acute attacks or be normal
What does the British Thoracic Society (SIGN) say about the symptoms of asthma, to be diagnosed with asthma?
- must have 1 or more of the common symptoms
- wheezing, breathlessness, cough or chest tightness
What does the British Thoracic Society (SIGN) say about the reversibility of asthma?
- diagnosis of asthma must show its reversible
- variable air flow improves with treatment
Roughly how many people a year die due to asthma?
- 3-5 people
- poor asthma management and education
Is asthma more common in adults of children?
- children
- more likely to develop allergies
What is the prevalence of asthma in UK adults and children?
- adults = 8%
- children = 20%
In patients with atopy (genetic susceptibility) what antibody do they produce a lot of that triggers the hypersensitivity?
- IgE
Is asthma caused by one thing?
- no
- multifactorial, but needs a stimulus
In patients with atopy, are they likely to have other allergies?
- yes
- hayfever, rhinitis, eczema and urticaria (hives)
In patients with atopy, why is it important to ask them about family history?
- genetic
- may run in family
What is skin prick testing?
- patients will receive small prick on arm
- then exposed to multiple common allergans
- positive test = raised skin
- IgE can then be measured in blood if positive
Patients with atopy and asthma have polygenic inheritance, what does that mean?
- multiple genes cause traits - traits may be asthma or allergies
What is a common chromosome where atopy and asthma have been shown?
- 11q13
What is Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus more commonly known as?
- dust mite
Generally what are the 2 common things that need to occur for someone to have an asthma attack?
1 - sensitisation of atopic patient
2 - inhalation of allergen
Asthma can be divided into a 2 stage process, how long does each phase last?
1 - phase 1 = 20 minutes
- IgE binds to mast cells and degranulate.
2 - phase 2 = 6-12 hours
- T cells, mast, basoinophil and esionphils cells all migrate to lungs and induce bronchoconstriction and inflammation
Which lymphocytes regulate the inflammatory response in asthma?
- T lymphocytes
- specifically T helper cells
T1 and T2 are classes of T helper cells, which is inflammatory and which is anti-inflammatory?
- T1 = anti-inflammatory
- T2 = inflammatory
Once IgE has been produced by B cells, what does IgE generally bind with in an asthma attack?
- mast cells
- basophils and eosinophils also involved
What is the process mast cells undergo to release inflammatory stiumulus?
- degranulation
What is the initial compound released from mast cells during an asthma attack?
- histamine
In addition to histamine release, what else is released during an asthma attack that is able to stimulate inflammation further?
- leukotrienes
- prostaglandins
Why do anti-histamines not work in asthma?
- other inflammatory mediators involved
- such leukotrienes and prostoglandins
In an asthma attack what is the main problem histamines, leukotrienes and prostaglandins cause?
- bronchospasm
- bronchoconstriction
- followed by inflammation
In asthma attacks, why do treatments target histamines, leukotrienes and prostaglandins?
- target inflammation - target bronchospasm
In the late phase response of an asthma attack, vasodilation occurs in addition to bronchoconstriction. What does this encourage?
- ⬆️ permeability
- same as in acute inflammation
In an asthma attack increase permeability leads to infiltration of the smooth muscle by what immune cells?
- neutrophils, basophils and eosinophils (granular)
- monocytes and dendritic cells
In an asthma attack increase permeability leads to infiltration of the smooth muscle of immune cells, what can this do to the epithelial cells?
- desquamation (shedding of cells)
In a late phase asthma attack what happens to goblet cells?
- hyperplasia - ⬆️ mucus production - ⬆️ plugging and blocking of airways
In a late phase asthma attack what happens to smooth muscle cells?
- hypertrophy and hyperplasia
What causes smooth muscles to contract during a late phase asthma attack?
- cytokines
What is polyphonic wheezing?
- lots of different whistling/wheezing sounds - caused by different size airways
Patients with asthma can experience dynamic hyperinflammation, how small do bronchi generally have to become for air to be trapped and for dynamic hyperinflammation to occur?
- <2cm
Although asthma is generally reversible, what can happen if not managed and asthma becomes chronic?
- remodelling of airways due to chronic inflammation
- collagen deposition
- fibrotic tissue replaces parenchymal tissue
- fixed narrowing
Are eosinophils in asthma attacks generally associated with acute or chronic asthma?
- acute - inflammation and airway obstruction
Are neutrophils in asthma attacks generally associated with acute or chronic asthma?
- chronic
- inflammation and steroid dependent asthma
- just like in COPD, chronic marker in WBCs
What is the main cell in an asthma attack that causes bronchospams?
- mast cells
What are a few environmental triggers for asthma?
- animal hair, pollen, mould
- infections (viral/bacterial)
- pollution
- perfumes and sprays
- smoking
- chlorine
- temperature changes
What are some common drugs that may contribute to an asthma attack?
- aspirin and NSAIDs (some anti-inflammatory pathways are ⬇️)
- B-blockers (off target effects, B1 and 2 can be affected)
What are some basic physiological, non disease specific aspects that may cause asthma?
- pregnancy
- premenstrual (pre period)
- exercise
Can peoples jobs contribute to asthma?
- yes
- occupational asthma is main occupational lung disease
What is diurnal variability?
- variation in peak expiratory flow
- measured over 24 hours
- >20% variation is a diagnosis of diurnal variability
During an acute exacerbation of asthma, what may happen to respiratory rate?
- ⬆️ respiratory rate
- body attempts to ⬆️ O2
- tachypnoea (abnormal rapid breathing)
During an acute exacerbation of asthma, what may happen to heart rate?
- ⬆️ heart rate - tachycardia
In severe asthma, what can happen to the colour of finger tips and skin?
- cyanosis - blue skin