Common Respiratory Conditions Flashcards

1
Q

What is dyspnoea?

A

difficulty breathing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is perfusion?

A

amount of blood perfusing a capillary bed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is Hyper/Hypoventilation?

A

Portions to ventilations: excessive or decreased

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is Bradypnoea?

A

Decreased respiration rate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is Hypoxia?

A

reduced tissue oxygen

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is hypoxemia?

A

reduced oxygen levels in the blood

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is hypercapnia?

A

Increased CO2 levels in the blood

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is Acidosis?

A

low blood pH (<7.35)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is Alkalosis?

A

High pH in the blood (>7.45)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is Parenchyma?

A

A generalised term for the tissue of the lungs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is a restrictive respiratory disease?

A

A small volume of air is flowing and the total lung capacity is lower.

There is a difficulty in inflating the lungs.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is an obstructive respiratory disease?

A

A small volume of air is flowing OUT and the vital capacity is low.

There is an increased lung compliance.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How do restrictive (RR) and obstructive (OR) respiratory diseases differ?

A

RR there is difficulty inflating the lungs

OR it is easy to inflate the lungs but not easy to expel the air.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Is cystic fibrosis an restrictive or obstructive respiratory disease?

A

Often termed as obstructive disorder but has some elements of restriction.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What does CFTR stand for?

A

Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is CFTR?

A

CFRT is a chloride ion transporter with multiple ‘categories of variant defects’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the function of chloride ions?

A

Chloride ions are pumped out of a cell in the epithelium layer and are secreted onto the epithelial surface

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What are some main cellular defects caused by the CFTR variants?

A

Defects in protein production

Defects in function of the ATP pump (rate of ions is compromised)

Defects in the regulation of the ATP pump (the way ATP binds to proteins)

Defects in protein processing (proteins cannot fold correctly)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are some organs/systems that cystic fibrosis can affect?

A

Secondary biliary cirrhosis (auto-immune disorder)

Chronic pancreatitis

Abnormal sweat electrolytes (salty sweat)

Malabsorption of the gut

Lung/respiratory issues (thick mucous, honeycomb lung, lung abscesses)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What are some pathophysiological features in a CF lung?

A
  1. Dysregulated /reduced chloride secretion.
  2. Increased sodium reabsorption into epithelial cells - Water follows the sodium and is reabsorbed into the epithelium
  3. Mucous becomes ‘thicken’ and more sticky and adherent to the lungs
  4. pH is lowered in bronchial epithelia . The pH is acidic, compromising the immune defence of the 1st defence barrier
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What can be observed from a x-ray of CF lungs?

A
  1. Hyperinflation of the lungs
  2. Chronic sinusitis (immunosuppressant)
  3. Bronchiectasis (airway widening)
  4. Peribronchial cuffing (thickened wall due to inflammation)
  5. Chronic pulmonary inflammation
  6. Atelectasis (collapsed alveoli due to obstructed bronchiole)
22
Q

What causes airway widening (bronchiectasis) in CF?

A

Smooth muscle is lost and the airway looses its tone and strength.

23
Q

What are some pathophysical complications of CF?

A
  1. Chronic airway infection
  2. Pneumothorax
  3. Fragile, distended blood vessels
  4. Pulmonary fibrosis (restrictive)
  5. Chronic respiratory failure
24
Q

What factors can cause COPD?

A

Mainly smoking but also:

history of maternal/paternal/childhood asthma

severe respiratory infections before the age of 5

maternal smoking

25
Q

What can you observe from an x-ray of someone who has COPD?

A

Hyperinflation of the lungs - the diaphragm is very flat

Narrow mediastinum due to hyperinflation

Chest is full of lung tissue, there is less space between lungs and mediastinum.

26
Q

What are the 2 sides of COPD pathophysiologically?

A

Emphysema and chronic bronchitis

27
Q

Why is emphysema and chronic bronchitis so common in COPD?

A

There are large air spaces so the respiratory surface is less.

A lot of elastic has been removed so the elastic recoil is a lot less, making it harder to empty the lungs.

28
Q

What does a normal bronchial look like?

A

It has a nice, organised mucola with ciliated surface and organised goblet cells.

The sub mucosal mucous glands push mucus out to the surface

29
Q

What does a COPD bronchial look like?

A

We have a thickened mucosa and submucosa, the mucus gland and goblet cell hyperplasia.

The organised border is missing. the pseudostratified columnar epithelial cells that are ciliated turn into squamous cells and the cilia disappear, loosing the mucus elevator.

30
Q

What are COPD risk factors?

A

Tobacco smoking
Air pollution
Occupational dusts and chemicals
Childhood risk factors

31
Q

How does smoking cause emphysema?

A

Smoke particles and chemicals are inhaled.

The neutrophils and macrophages engulf the smoke and as a result, change their behaviour to become ‘activated’ defensively

Serine elastase is released by neutrophils and macrophages. Serine breaks down the elastic tissue

Elastin of the lung is destroyed by the serine.

Reactive oxygen species are released by the cells, inhibiting the a1-antitrypsin. This inactivation leads to uncontrolled loss of elastic tissue.

32
Q

What happens pathologically to your bronchioles as you continue to smoke?

A

Basal, Squamous, Goblet cell metaplasia

Thickened basement membrane

Mucus gland hyperplasia.

Pitting of mucosa

Generalised oedema

33
Q

Why is there fibrosis when you smoke?

A

Fibrosis can occur due to the fibroblasts being recruited (as a result of the inflammation process).

The fibroblasts start to lay down strong, heavy fibres and fibros in the tissue, affecting the flexibility of the bronchioles.

34
Q

How can you estimate the severity of a person’s chronic bronchitis?

A

By looking at the ratio of the mucus gland thickness and submucosa thickness, however this is an invasive technique.

Normal ratio = < 0.4
Severe ratio = > 0.7

35
Q

What are some etiological factors that can cause an obstructive lung condition?

A

Character of the air being breathed in

Acid reflux

Post nasal drip

36
Q

What is the immediate inflammatory response of asthma?

A

An allergen enters the system. The allergen binds to the immunoglobulins on the mast cells which degranulate. This leads to the inflammatory response and inflammatory mediators to be released.

37
Q

What are some inflammatory mediators involved in the inflammatory response of asthma?

A

Histamine
Bradykinin
Leukotrienes

38
Q

What is the delayed inflammatory response of asthma?

A

The eosinophils and other inflammatory cells start to release factors which reduce ciliary function and can lead to epithelial damage (degration of the collated cells)

The nervous system activated sensory nerve endings to produce an afferent nerve discharge back to the CNS which sends back efferent nerve discharge from the ANS, stimulating symptoms such as mucus secretion and bronchoconstriction

39
Q

What are the acute/reversible effects of a small diameter of the airways?

A
Narrowed irregular lumen 
Sticky mucus 
Epithelial damage 
Increased vagal tone 
Reduced airflow 
Wheezing
40
Q

What are the long term effects of a small diameter of the airways?

A
Smooth muscle hypertrophy 
Mucus gland hypertrophy 
Inflammatory cell infiltration 
Edema of bronchial wall 
Scarring 
Subepithelial fibrosis
41
Q

What are intrinsic disorders?

A

Changes ‘inside’ of the lung that affects the compliance

42
Q

What are extrinsic disorders?

A

Issues outside of the lungs that affect the ribcage, the fat/muscle that surrounds the ribcage and the connective tissue

43
Q

What can the interstitial space in a restrictive respiratory disorder be associated with?

A

Fibrosis (collagen) between the alveoli

Fibroblast foci

Formation of scar tissue

44
Q

Define fibrosis?

A

Excessive electric recoil, pulling the airways open, enlarging airways and hence losing the ability to fully inflate the lungs.

45
Q

What are some symptoms of a restrictive respiratory condition?

A
Dyspnea 
Dry, unproductive cough 
Rapid shallow breathing 
Reduced chest movement 
Cracks and wheezes (lung crepitations ) 
Clubbing of fingers
46
Q

What does Fick’s Law predict about interstitial lung disease?

A

Predicts that if we have a thicker membrane, it will take longer for gas molecules to diffuse across the membrane, compromising the diffusion capacity.

Results in a lower oxygen saturation in the blood

47
Q

What main organs help to regulate the acid-base balance?

A

Kidneys (100mEq per day)

Lungs (10,000mEq per day)

48
Q

What are symptoms of respiratory acidosis (pH <7.35)

A

Hypoventilation
Lung disease
Opiate driven hypoventilation

49
Q

What are the symptoms of respiratory alkalosis (pH >7.45)

A

Hyperventilation
Anxiety
High altitude

50
Q

What does ageing do to the respiratory system?

A

Decreases the respiratory surface area

Increases alveolar size

Increase of bronchiole diameter

Dysregulation of fibroblast function

Decrease in thoracic compliance