Chest Flashcards
What does the respiratory system do?
- bring oxygen from the environment for the body to use
- expels CO2 from the body back to the atmosphere
What is the clinical presentation of both asthma and COPD?
Airflow obstruction indicated by:
- SOB (dyspnea)
- cough
- chest tightness
- wheezing
- tachycardia
- tachypnoea
Difference between asthma and COPD
Asthma:
- usually present in childhood
- stable disease with fluctuations
- spirometry consistent
- strong genetic link
- allergens increase attacks
- treatable
COPD: - presents in people over 40 Progressive disease Spirometry decline Environmental link ( smoking) - treatment slows progression
What is asthma?
- chronic inflammation of the airways
- intermittent airflow obstruction
- bronchial hypersensitivity
What is the cause/ aetiology of asthma?
Unknown cause but strong links with:
- family history of asthma and allergies
- smoking during pregnancy
- premature birth
How do we prevent asthma?
Test to ensure diagnosis:
- full medical history check
- spirometry
- Allergy testing
- X-day to rule out other diseases
- Blood tests
- need action plan (severity differs)
- avoid triggers
- treat attack early
- take prescribed medication
What can cause an acute asthma attack?
Allergens Airborne irritants Medication Emotional triggers Respiratory infections Change to environment Exercise
What medications are used to treat an acute asthma attack?
Preventers: corticosteroids to reduce airway inflammation
Relievers: fast acting bronchodilators
What imaging modalities are used for asthma?
Plain chest x-ray: 1st modality utilised
CT: usually hi-resolution CT chest (HRCT) if required
What imaging modalities are not utilised for asthma and why?
NM, MRI and US as they are not practical. Invasive
Chest x-ray features caused by asthma?
- normal in 3/4 of patients
- pulmonary hyperinflation
- bronchial wall thickening
Complications seen on an x-ray caused by asthma
- atelectasis/collapse (mucous plugging)
- pneumonia
- eosinophilic lung disease
What is COPD?
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Pulmonary emphysema= abnormal, pathological, permanent enlargement of distal (distal to terminal bronchioles) airspaces + wall destruction without fibrosis
- Chronic bronchitis= defined clinically as a cough productive of sputum occurring on most days in 3 consecutive months over 2 consecutive years with enlargement of mucosal glands and inflammatory infiltration
Cause/ aetiology of COPD
- cigarette smoke
- exposure to dust and chemicals
- alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
- chronic IV use
COPD clinical diagnosis
- dyspnea
- chronic cough
- chronic sputum production
- history of exposure to risk factors
What are the clinical patterns associated with bronchitis?
Blue bloaters
- patients may be obese
- frequent cough and expectoration due to irritation by mucous
- dyspnea
- coarse cough and wheezing on auscultation
- patients may have signs of right heart failure
- cyanotic
Clinical indications of chronic bronchitis
- productive cough for 3 months for 2 successive years where other chronic causes have been excluded
- chronic inflammation of bronchi
- bronchial narrowing
- increased mucous production
- hypertrophy of mucous glands
- increased number of goblet cells
- fibrosis and smooth muscle hypertrophy
What are the clinical patterns of emphysema?
Pink puffers
- patients may be very thin with a barrel chest
- loss of skeletal muscle and subcutaneous fat
- patients typically have little or no cough or expectoration
- dyspnea
- the chest may be hyper-resonant, and wheezing may be heard in auscultation
- non-cyanotic
Clinical indications for pulmonary emphysema
- abnormal enlargement of distal airspaces (distal to terminal bronchioles)
- wall distension and destruction with minimal or absent fibrosis
- loss of alveolar capillaries
- loss of elasticity in connective tissue
- air becomes trapped in alveoli
What is the pathogenesis of COPD?
- inflammatory response
- damage to lung parenchyma
- destruction of alveolar walls and septae
- loss of elastic recoil
- diminishes expiratory flow rate
- air trapping
How is pulmonary emphysema classified?
- centrilobular/ centriacinar (smoking/ upper zones)
- panlobular/ panacinar (genetic disorder- alpha- 1 antitrypsin deficiency/ lower zones)
- pRaseotal/ disralacinar (Bullae formation and spontaneous pneumothorax)
Describe how COPD is a progressive disease
- Decreased size and number of pulmonary vessels and branches
- Distorted vessels (stretched, straightened, curved) with increased branching angles
- Avascular regions
What features are displayed on a CXR when imaging chronic bronchitis?
- bronchial wall thickening
- prominent peripheral bronchovascular markings
- pulmonary arterial hypertension
What features are displayed on a CXR when imaging emphysema?
- normal or hyperinflation
- increased lung fields
- flattened hemidiaphragms
- vertical, elongated cardiac silhouette
- increased radiolucency
- increased retrosternal airspace
- increased AP chest diameter
- splaying of Tina and sternal bowing
- altered pulmonary vasculature
- bullae formation
- saber-sheath trachea
- pulmonary arterial hypertension
What is the CXR appearance of bullae?
- avascular regions of hyperlucency >10mm
- demarcated by thin walls <1mm thickness
- located commonly subpleural
- Uni or multi-locula with thin septa
- associated with pneumothorax formation, infection and haemorrhage
Advantages of high-resolution CT (HRCT) for COPD defection
- greater sensitivity than standard chest radiography
- high specificity for emphysema: detection and characterisation
- quantity extent of emphysema: visual scoring system
- potential for long term monitoring of emphysema progression
- guide surgical intervention
What treatment is available for COPD?
- no known cure
- ease symptoms, prevent complications and slow disease progression
- lifestyle changes: quit smoking, healthy diet
- medication: bronchodilators and corticosteroids
- oxygen therapy: bottled oxygen to compensate for low oxygen transfer
- surgery: bullectomy, lung volume reduction, lung transplant
Name 4 types of upper/ middle respiratory infections
Rhinorrhea (runny nose), croup, epiglottitis, brochiolitis
Name 4 types of lower respiratory tract infections
Pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis, fungal disease, lung abscess