Bronchiectasis Flashcards
1
Q
What is Bronchiectasis?
A
A long-term condition where the airways of the lungs become widened, leading to a build-up of excess mucus that can make the lungs more vulnerable to infection.
2
Q
What are the triad of symptoms for Bronchiectasis?
A
- Chronic cough
- Excess purulent sputum production
- Repeated infections
3
Q
What are the causes of Bronchiectasis?
A
- Smoking
- Severe lung infection (e.g Pneumonia or Tuberculosis)
- Childhood diseases (i.e measles, whooping cough)
- Immunodeficiency
- Inhaled foreign bodies
- Gastric reflux
- Inflammatory bowel disease (e.g Crohns, ulcerative disease)
- Arthritis
- Severe allergic response to fungus or moulds
- Can be genetic or acquired
- Congenital-primary ciliary dyskinesia or cystic fibrosis
- No known cause