Breathlessness- core conditions 3 Flashcards
Pneumonia: history and examination
History: pleuritic chest pain, productive cough, fever, SOB, Possible confusion
Examination
- Tachypnoea
- Fever
- Decreased chest expansion on affected side
- Dullness to percuss on affected side
- Bronchial breath sounds on affected side
- Crackles on affected side
- Increased vocal resonance on affected side
Pneumonia: symptoms
- Pleuritic pain
- Dry cough, then purulent
- Shallow rapid breathing
- Possible confusion
- Loss of appetite, low energy and fatigue
- Probable preceding viral infection
- Rapidly more ill, temp up to 39.5 degrees
Causes of pneumonia
Causes of hospital acquired pneumonia: E.coli, S.aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Causes of community acquired pneumoniae: S.pneumoniae, H.influenzae
Pnemonia- investigations
- Bedside: Obs
- Bloods: FBC, U&Es, CRP, blood/sputum culture
- Imaging: CXR - look for areas of opacification (consolidation)
- CURB65 score
CURB-65 scoring system [mortality rate in hospital]
- Confusion (AMTS<=8)
- Raised blood urea nitrogen >=7 mmol/L
- Respiratory rate >30
- Blood pressure <60 diastolic or <90 systolic
- Age >=65
- Score 0-1 = low risk
- Score 2 = moderate risk
- Score 3-5 = high risk
CRB65 score [mortality risk in GP]
• Confusion [AMTS 8 or less]
• Raised respiratory rate [30 or more]
• Low BP [DBP <60mmHg or SBP <90mmHg]
• Aged 65 or more
- Stratified for risk or death:
• 0: low risk [<1% mortality]
• 1 or 2: intermediate risk [1-10% mortality
• 3 or 4: high risk [>10% mortality
Pneumonia management CAP
- Maintain airway, support breathing, high flow O2 if needed
- Antibiotics asap (adjust after microbiology results) PO:
- Low risk patient: Amoxicillin (or doxycycline)
- Moderate risk patient: Amoxicillin + Clarythromycin
- High risk patient: Co-amoxiclav + Clarythromycin
Pneumonia management HAP
- Maintain airway, support breathing, high flow O2 if needed
- Antibiotics asap (adjust after microbiology results):
- Low/moderate risk patient: Co-amoxiclav PO
- High risk patient/severe infection: Piperacillin or ceftazidine or cetriaxone IV
What do you do 6 weeks after initial pneumonia presentation
You do a chest x-ray to make sure there isnt a tumour hidden by the consolidation
Pathological stage of pneumonia
- First 24hrs
- Cellular exudates replace the alveolar air.
- Capillaries in the surrounding alveolar walls become congested.
- Pleurisy occurs - results in coughing & deep breathing
Red hepatization stage of pneumonia
- 2-3 days after consolidation
- Lungs become hyperaemic
- Consistency of the lungs is similar to the liver
Grey hepatization stage of pneumonia
- 2-3 days after red hepatization
- Avascular stage
- Fibrinopurulent exudates cause compression of the capillaries
Resolution stage of pneumonia
Resolution of the pulmonary architecture
Why should you stop a PPI prior to Abx treatment
Increases risk of C.difficile
What two infections are likely to cause an acute sore throat
Acute pharyngitis, tonsilitis
Causes of respiratory tract infections
Rhinovirus, adenovirus, coronavirus, S.pyogenes, H.influenza, Moraxella catarrhalis
What scoring systems are used in acute sore throat to decide if antibiotics are needed
FeverPAIN, Centor score
FeverPAIN score
- Fever
- Purulence
- Attends rapidly (within 3 days)
- Inflamed tonsils
- No cough/coryza
- Score 0-1 = no ABx, Score 2-3 = consider/back up Abx prescription, Score 4-5 = immediate Abx.
Centor criteria
- Lymph Nodes enlarged
- Exudate on tonsils
- Absence of cough
- Fever
- Add 1 if <15 y/o, minus 1 if >44 y/o.
- Require score of 3 for Abx
Natural history of pneumonia
• 1 week – fever resolved
• 4 weeks – chest pain & sputum production substantially reduced
• 6 weeks – cough & breathlessness substantially reduced
• 3 months – most resolved but fatigue may be present
• 6 months - most people back to normal
Symptoms of respiratory tract infections
- Sore throat
- Cough/cold
- Fever
- Muscle ache
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Inflamed tonsils/exudate
Management of respiratory tract infection
- If scored highly on FeverPAIN/centor, Antibiotics give: Phenoxymethylpenicillin or clarythromycin.
- Paracetamol, ibuprofen
- Fluids, rest
- Dilfam spray - locally acting analgesic & anti-inflammatory
Influenza- clinical features
- quick onset of symptoms, usually self-limiting
- dry cough, coryza, sore throat
- headache, fever, malaise
- GI symptoms
- photophobia, conjunctivitis, pain on eye movement
Influenza- clinical investigations
- Usually clinical diagnosis
- Testing limited to outbreaks or if person has complications. Includes viral PCR, rapid antigen testing and viral culture of sputum/swabs