Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Flashcards
In what groups is COPD more common?
women - slightly
smokers
lower socioeconomic status
rural settings
What percentage of COPD cases are NOT associated with smoking?
25%
How much money do Americans spend on COPD? 2010? 2020?
$32 billion in 2010
estimated $49 billion in 2020
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
persistent respiratory symptoms AND measurable obstructive airflow limitation
by definition NOT completely reversible
common, preventable, and treatable, but not curable
characterized by emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and sometimes asthma
What is the irreversible pathophysiology of COPD?
fibrosis and narrowing of the airways
loss of elastic recoil due to alveolar destruction
destruction of alveolar support that maintains patency of small airways
What is the reversible pathophysiology of COPD?
inflammatory cells, mucus, and plasma exudate in bronchi
smooth muscle contraction in peripheral and central airways
What affects will COPD have on Pulmonary Vasculature? Which lab finding will indicate this?
Vascular intimal hyperplasia – thickening of alveolar-capillary barrier due to inflammation, mucus, and exudate
Chronic hypoxic vasoconstriction can lead to smooth muscle hypertrophy/hyperplasia
Alveolar destruction leads to loss of adjacent capillaries
Lab: low diffusion capacity (DLCO): measures CO and quantifies gas diffusion across alveolar-capillary membrane
Chronic Bronchitis
productive cough for more than 3 months in duration in each of two successive years
may occur in absence of airflow obstruction
due to airway thickening and decreased mucociliary activity
Emphysema
abnormal and permanent enlargement of and damage to the walls of the alveoli without obvious fibrosis
can exists without airflow obstruction, but is more common among patients who have moderate or severe airflow obstruction
Asthma
chronic airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness
recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing; particularly at night or in the early morning
episodes are reversible either spontaneously or with treatment; COPD is NOT reversible
reactive airway – greater than 12 percent improvement in FEV1 with bronchodilator
In order to diagnose COPD, the patient must have….
measurable airflow obstruction that is not completely reversible
people with chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both are not considered to have COPD unless they have measurable airflow obstruction
patients with airflow obstruction due to diseases that have a known etiology or a specific pathology are NOT considered to have COPD
Risks
cigarette smoking - leading cause; 38% of COPD patients are current smokers and 37% are former smokers
long-term exposure to other irritants - air pollution, chemical fumes, cooking fumes, dusts
alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD)
Apha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD)
hereditary deficiency or absence of the alpha-1 anti-trypsin protein in the blood
produced by the liver, protects elastin in the lungs from inflammation and inhaled irritants
low AAT occurs because the AAT is abnormal and cannot be released from the liver
Low alpha-1 antitrypsin in the blood leads to….
High alpha-1 antitrypsin leads to….
low - lung disease (emphysema)
high - liver disease (cirrhosis)
What types of patients should you suspect have alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency?
suspect alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency in patients with cirrhosis or lung disease, especially if it is more serious than expected or in those younger than 40
DNA Genotype as follow-up: MM normal, MS or MZ carriers, ZZ or SZ have AATD
Symptoms
constant coughing – smoker’s cough
shortness of breath while doing everyday activities
inability to breathe easily or take a deep breath
excess mucus production – coughed up as sputum
wheezing
What test is required for diagnosing COPD?
spirometry
Exam Findings or Sings
odor of tobacco
coughing
increased work of breathing or pursed-lip breathing, especially during minimal activity
prolonged expiration
wheezing or forced expiration (whistle) - sometimes airways are too tight to even produce a whistle
hyperinflation - increased resonance or percussion, diminished breath sounds, distant heart sounds, increased AP diameter (barrel chest), and depressed diaphragm
yellow/brown nicotine and tar stains on fingers
cachexia - loss of weight, muscle atrophy, fatigue, weakness, and significant loss of appetite
What will the FEV1/FVC be?
less than 70% after bronchodilators
What will the total lung capacity be?
normal or increased
What will the residual volume be?
normal or increased
What method is used for determining COPD severity?
GOLD Staging
severity of functional impairment based on FEV1 doesn’t always correlate well
air trapping (RV and TLC) and reduction of DLCO may be more accurate reflectors of impact on daily functioning
GOLD Classification for COPD - first confirm …..
FEV1/FVC <70% and not reversible by bronchodilators
GOLD Classification - Mild COPD
mild airflow limitation
FEV1 > 80% predicted
with or without chronic symptoms