Case 9 Flashcards
What is partial pressure?
Pressure exerted by one of the gases in a mixture if it occupied the same value on its own.
Meaning of respiratory failure?
Failure of oxygenation and/or elimination of CO2
Definition of hypoxemia?
Low oxygen levels
Definition of hypercapnia?
High CO2 levels
Perfusion meaning?
Passage of fluid (norm. Blood) through circulatory system or tissues
Ventilation-perfusion mismatch meaning?
Imbalance in amount of air reaching alveoli and amount of blood circulating in the pulmonary capillaries (leading to low O2 conc)
What is ventilatory failure?
When respiratory system can’t effectively remove CO2 from body
What is type 1 respiratory failure?
Low levels of oxygen in blood
Ventilation-perfusion mismatch
What is type 2 respiratory failure?
Low blood oxygen levels (hypoxemia)
High blood CO2 levels (hypercapnia)
Due to ventilatory failure
What are acid base disturbances?
Changes in pH of blood
What is acidosis?
Increased acidity
What is alkalosis?
Decreased acidity
How does CO2 level impact acidity of blood?
High CO2 - more acidic, lower pH
How does HCO3 (Bicarbonate) level impact acidity of blood?
High HCO3 - less acidic (more alkaline), higher pH
What is respiratory acidosis?
Lungs don’t remove enough CO2
Increased acidity of blood
What is respiratory alkalosis?
Lungs remove excesssive CO2
Decreased acidity of blood
What is metabolic acidosis?
Excess of acid in blood or loss of bicarbonate
What is metabolic alkalosis?
Loss of acid in blood or excess of bicarbonate
Describe bicarbonate buffer system?
co2 + h2o <—> h2co3 <—> h+ + hco3-
H2CO3 — carbonic acid
HCO3- — bicarbonate
It maintains a constant blood pH
What is pH?
The measure of H+ ions
H+ conc is inverse to pH
More H+ ions, lower pH, more acidic
What is base excess?
Amount of excess base or acid in blood
What is asthma?
A collection of conditions characterised by inflammation and narrowing of airways. This leads to wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and chest tightness. These are often triggered eg by exercise, respiratory infections, exposure to irritants.
How to diagnose asthma?
1)Spirometry tests (Lung function)
2)Bronchodilator reversibility test
3)Monitoring of peak flow
4)Exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) - measures inflammation in airways
5)Methacholine challenge testing - can induce asthma symptoms
What is precision medicine?
Targeted treatment based on genetic, bio markers, phenotypic, or psychosocial characteristics
How is asthma treated currently?
Preventer(daily)
-Brown
-Inhaled glucocorticosteroids (anti inflammatory)
Reliever inhalers
-Blue
-Beta 2 agonist (bronchodilators)
What is typically used for prophylaxis treatment of asthma ( Preventer inhaler)
Inhaled gluco-corticosteroids
Anti inflammatory
What is typically found in reliever inhalers for asthma attacks?
Beta 2 agonist
Relaxation and dilation of airways
Triggers of asthma?
Allergens (eg common dust mites, mould spores, pollen)
Irritants (eg smoke, pollution, odours)
Respiratory infections
Physical activity
Weather
Causes of asthma?
Genetic factors
Environmental factors (early exposure to allergens or pollutants)
Respiratory infections
What is atopy, and how does it relate to asthma?
Atopy is a genetic predisposition to allergies, particularly in the context of asthma.
People with atopy and asthma experience heightened immune responses when exposed to allergens, leading to airway inflammation, wheezing, and bronchospasm. This increased sensitivity is a key factor in asthma, and treatments often aim to reduce inflammation and relax the airways.
How do beta agonists work to treat asthma?
Bronchodilators
Stimulate beta-2 adrenergic receptors, leading to bronchodilation
Side effects of bronchodilators?
Increased heart rate
Tremors
Potential desensitisation of beta receptors
How do steroids work to treat asthma?
Anti inflammatory
Reduce inflammation by inhibiting action of immune cells and decreasing production of inflammatory substances