Asthma Roop/Raja Flashcards
What is wheezing?
Whistling sound upon expiration because of an obstruction
What are the primary causes of wheezing?
-Asthma
-Bronchitis
-COPD
What might a physical exam show for a pt wheezing, anxious, and SOB?
-wheezing is more prominent on exhalation and there is an extended forced expiratory phase
-chest anteroposterior diameter appears large for age and size
-nasal mucosa is edematous, and the pharynx is coated w/ a clear postnasal discharge
A pt who is wheezing may be prescribed a beta-2-adrenergic agent administered by an inhaler, and the symptoms quickly subside. Beta 2 agonists replicate the actions of the catecholamines. Name the catecholamines and what are the actions of beta 2 agonists?
Catecholamines = NE and Epi
action= dilation by relaxing smooth muscle on multiple organs
What causes the large diameter of the anteroposterior chest for some patients wheezing?
-Air trapped in lungs → increases lung size → pushes chest out
-When you inspire→ chest wall pushes out (issue is that we can’t get the air out bc muscles are contracting)
What are the 3 types of beta receptors?
beta 1, 2, and 3
Do beta 1 receptors increase or decrease cAMP? What organs are affected and how?
beta 1 receptors increase cAMP
affects heart (increase co) and kidneys (increase renin)
Do beta 2 receptors increase or decrease cAMP? What organs are affected and how?
beta 2 receptors increase cAMP
smooth muscle relaxation–> lungs, blood vessels, GI tract, bladder, uterus, liver
will increase diameter of lungs and blood vessels
will decrease peristalsis and digestion
bladder will decrease urination
liver will make glucose
Do beta 3 receptors increase or decrease cAMP? What organs are affected and how?
beta 3 receptors increase cAMP
affects adipose tissue and bladder
there will be lipolysis and decreased urination
What does Gs mean?
increases cAMP
Beta1= heart= _________
Beta2= lungs= ________
1 heart, 2 lungs
What are the pulmonary function tests?
-spirometry test
-methacholine challenge test (bronchoprovocation test)
What is spirometry?
-Measurement of lung capacity
-Expiring into tube and spirogram measures
-Only exhalation
-Measuring how much air you can breathe out in one forced breath
What is a methacholine challenge test and what is methacholine?
-Methacholine is a parasympathomimetic bronchoconstrictor used to diagnose bronchial hyperreactivity in subjects who do not have clinically apparent asthma
-during the test, pt will be asked to inhale doses of methacholine, a drug that can cause narrowing of the airways. A breathing test will be repeated after each dose of methacholine to measure the degree of narrowing or constriction of the airways
-Methacholine is administered sequentially in increasing conc.
-Methacholine is also known as Acetyl-β-methylcholine, which is a synthetic choline ester that acts as a non-selective muscarinic receptor agonist in the parasympathetic nervous system (airways are obstructed and they try to get air out)
What can you expect during a spirometry test?
A pt undergoes a methacholine test. The results show hyperreactive bronchoconstriction with decreased FEV1, decreased forced vital capacity and increased residual volume. Flow/volume loop demonstrates scooping. What is FEV1 and what is scooping?
forced expiratory volume (1 = first second)
FEV1 = vol. of air that can be expired in the first second of a forced maximal expiration
Is asthma obstructive or restrictive?
obstructive (fibrotic lung disease would be restrictive)
What is forced vital capacity (FVC)?
volume of air that can be forcibly expired after a maximal inspiration = TV +IRV+ERV
FEV1 is normally _____% of forced vital capacity. What is the equation here?
80%
FEV1/FVC = 0.8
In _____________ lung disease, FEV1 is reduced so FEV1/FVC is decreased
obstructive
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that includes….
- Airway hyperresponsiveness (airway narrowing) to specific triggers
- Chest tightness
- Variable airflow limitation
- Coughing
- Wheezing
What are some asthmatic triggers?
-Pollen
-Dust
-Pet hair
-Grass
-Shellfish and nuts- breathing it in, not eating
-Smoking/ second hand smoke
What type of epithelium lines the majority of the airways?
Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium with goblet cells = RESPIRATORY epithelium
Goblet cells produce mucus for what purpose?
to trap pathogens/allergens
What is the function of the cilia in respiratory epithelium?
moving mucus up to the mouth to expectorate (spit it out) or swallowing through a mucociliary escalator
note: mucociliary escalator stops working in asthma bc of constant inflammation
Do respiratory alveoli and bronchi have cilia? explain
no
instead of cilia, there are macrophages to help remove mucus→ dust cells (which are the macrophages of the lungs)
What type of epithelium is lining the respiratory alveoli and bronchi?
simple squamous epithelium
What keeps the respiratory cells together but are disrupted in pts with asthma (pathogens can get through)?
Tight junctions and adherens junctions
On each side of respiratory epithelium there are cells from innate and adaptive immunity. What cells are they specifically?
-Innate = dendrites, granulocytes, macrophages, mast cells, NK cells
-Adaptive = B/T cells (CD4 = helper T cell)
When asthmatics are exposed to allergens, the allergens will pass by the cells/breach them because the tight junctions and adherens junctions are lost. Nothing will move the allergens out of the way, and so it sets up a reaction for who? What does this trigger?
SENSITIZED individuals
eosinophils and interleukins will be released as a result of this
which will result in an increase in fibrosis and cause a thickening under the basement membrane of airways
The epithelial-derived cytokines TSLP, IL-33, and IL-25 are released in response to allergens and respiratory viruses and act as key upstream drivers of _________ inflammation in the airways through effects on both innate and adaptive immune cells.
type 2
How is respiratory epithelium disrupted in asthmatics?
hint: 3 things
1) disruption of tight junctions
2) detachment of ciliated cells
3) reduced expression of cell to cell adhesion molecules such as E-cadherin
What is the pathophysiology of asthma?
hint: 3 things
1) airway inflammation
2) intermittent airflow obstruction
3) bronchial hyperresponsiveness
What happens in airway inflammation?
-production of increased airway responsiveness
-produce airway edema and cause the immigration of inflammatory cells into the lumen through the epithelium
-Mast cells and basophils release histamine (histamine is one of the primary mediators)
-Prostaglandins + histamine → causes obstruction
What are the 4 things seen with airway inflammation?
1) edema and mucus secretion (both leading to obstruction)
2) desquamation of the epithelium
3) smooth muscle hyperplasia (smooth muscle shouldn’t be thick (hyperplasia) in terminal bronchioles)
4) eosinophil infiltration
What happens in airway obstruction (specifically asthma)?
-happens when you can’t move air in or out of your lungs
-caused by smooth muscle hyperplasia (smooth muscle shouldn’t be thick in terminal bronchioles)
-bronchoconstriction will affect the airways
What antibody is produced during airway obstruction (bronchospasm)? What does it do?
IgE
IgE production triggers the release of inflammatory mediators like histamine and leukotrienes
These result in bronchospasm (smooth muscle contraction in the airways) and edema
What is bronchial hyperresponsiveness?
Excessive narrowing of airways resulting in increased airway resistance and decreased airflow