COPD Flashcards
What is COPD?
What are the symptoms?
- Progressive disease state characterised by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible.
- A picture of both emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
- In COPD air can get in but not out, due to airway obstruction (bronchitis) and reduced alveolar elascticity (emphysema). This leads to hyperexpansion, and development of holes / bullae on CT.
- FEV1 < 80% of predicted (accounting for pts; age, sex and height)
- FEV1/FVC (ratio) < 70%
- Symptoms:
- progressive shortness of breath,
- wheeze,
- cough,
- sputum production (including haemoptysis)
Name 3 causes of airway obstruction
- Asthma (reversible)
- COPD
- Bronciectasis
Name 4 causes of airway restriction
- Interstitial lung disease
- Obesity
- Scoliosis
- Ideopathic pulmonary fibrosis
What do pulmonary function tests show for obstructive vs restrictive lung disease?
Obstructive
- N/↓ FVC
- ↓↓ FEV1
- Ratio FEV:FVC <0.70
Restrictive
- ↓↓ FVC
- ↓ FEV1
- Ratio stays the same
What is the GOLD classification of COPD?
Numbers: severity of airflow limitation (spirometric grade 1 to 4)
- Mild
- Moderate
- Severe
- Very Severe
Letters: (groups A to D) provides information regarding symptom burden and risk of exacerbation which can be used to guide therapy
What does CURB-65 stand for?
What are the genetic and environmental causes of COPD?
- Genetic
- a1-antitrypsin deficiency
- Environmental
- Smoking (+exposure passively)
- Cannabis
- Mineral dusts
- coal
- cadmium
- grain and flour
What are the differences between asthma and COPD?
What are the inhaled treatments used in COPD?
- SABA = short-acting beta2 agonist – this may be continued at all stages if required
- SAMA = short-acting muscarinic antagonist
- LABA = long-acting beta2 agonist
- LAMA = long-acting muscarinic antagonist
Mucolytics in COPD
When should they be considered?
Give an example
- Should be ‘considered’ in patients with a chronic productive cough and continued if symptoms improve
- Should not be used to prevent exacerbations
- Carbocysteine
Give some examples of sympathomimetric agents:
- ß2 agonists
- Anticholinergics / muscarinic antagonists
- ß2 agonists
- Short acting (SABA)
- e.g. salbutamol, terbutaline
- Long acting (LABA)
- e.g. salmeterol, eformoterol
- Short acting (SABA)
- Muscarinic antagonists / “antimuscarinics”
- ipratropium (SAMA)
- tiotropium (LAMA)
- What does SABA stand for?
- When are they used in COPD?
- How do they work?
- Common side effects / counselling points
- Interactions
- Give 3 examples.
- Short acting beta agonists
- used to relieve breathlessness
- Acts on ß2 receptors in smooth muscle cells, causing relaxation
- Activation of flight/flight in b2 receptors elsewhere gives side effects of:
- tachycardia
- palpatations
- anxiety
- tremor
- increase glucose in blood
- !! take care if patient has cardiovascular disease !!
- Drives K+ into cells (treatment of hyperkalaemia)
- Counsel patient that this treats the symptoms, not the disease
- High dose SABA +
- Theophylline
- corticosteroids
- → can lead to hypokalaemia; monitor K+ levels
- salbutamol, terbutaline, albuterol
- What does LABA stand for?
- When are they used in COPD?
- How do they work?
- Common side effects / counselling points
- Interactions
- Give 3 examples.
- Long acting beta agonists
- Second line treatment of COPD w/w.out asthmatic features
- Acts on ß2 receptors in smooth muscle cells, causing relaxation
- Activation of flight/flight in b2 receptors elsewhere gives side effects of:
- tachycardia
- palpatations
- anxiety
- tremor
- increase glucose in blood
- !! take care if patient has cardiovascular disease !!
- Drives K+ into cells (treatment of hyperkalaemia)
- Counsel patient that this treats the symptoms, not the disease
- High dose LABA +
- Theophylline
- corticosteroids
- → can lead to hypokalaemia; monitor K+ levels
- salmeterol, formeterol, olodaterol
- What does SAMA stand for?
- When are they used in COPD?
- How do they work?
- Common side effects / counselling points
- Interactions
- Give an example
- Short Acting Muscarinic Antagonists
- Used to relieve breathlessness in COPD e.g. brought on by exercise/ exacerbations. 1st line (or SABA)
- Activation of muscarinic receptors (w acetylcholine) has a parasympathetic response. SAMAs block this activation, causing a sympathetic response i.e.
- increase heart rate
- relax smooth muscle
- reduce GI secretions
- pupil dilation in eye
- When inhaled there are fewer systemic effects
- but dry mouth is common (patient can use water/ sugar-free gum)
- Low systemic absorption, but cauting in patients with angle-closure glaucoma (can raise intraocular pressure)
- ipratropium, brand name “Atrovent”
- What does LAMA stand for?
- When are they used in COPD?
- How do they work?
- Common side effects / counselling points
- Interactions
- Give 2 examples.
- Long Acting Muscarinic Antagonists
- Used to prevent breathlessness and exacerbations, 2nd line if no asthmatic features.
- Activation of muscarinic receptors (w acetylcholine) has a parasympathetic response. LAMAs block this activation, causing a sympathetic response i.e.
- increase heart rate
- relax smooth muscle
- reduce GI secretions
- pupil dilation in eye
- When inhaled there are fewer systemic effects
- but dry mouth is common (patient can use water/ sugar-free gum)
- Low systemic absorption, but cauting in patients with angle-closure glaucoma (can raise intraocular pressure)
- Tiotropium (Spireva), glycopyrronium (Seebri Neohaler)
- Tiotropium bromide is more effective than salmeterol (LABA) in preventing exacerbations for pts with moderate-to-very severe COPD