COPD Flashcards
What does COPD stand for?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
What is the definition of COPD? (3 points)
- Non-reversible
- Long term deterioration in air flow thru lungs
- Caused by damage to lung tissue
What are the CF of COPD? (13 things)
- Fatigue / lethargy
- Coryza
- Worsening SOB
- Pursed lip breathing
- Prod cough
- Wheeze
- Haemoptysis
- Chest pain / tightness
- Tachycardia
- Tachypnoea
- Hypoxia
- Peripheral oedema
- Cyanosis
What recurrent thing will COPD pt complain of?
Recurrent chest infections
What are some DDx that present similarly to COPD? (5 things)
- Asthma
- Bronchiectasis
- CHF
- Lung cancer
- TB
How can you differentiate Asthma from COPD? (4 things)
Asthma has:
1. Diurnal variation in symptoms + Peak flow
1. Atopy Hx
1. Eosinophilia (blood + sputum)
1. Bronchodilator reversibility (do Lung function tests to c)
How can you differentiate Bronchiectasis from COPD? (3 things)
Bronchiectasis has:
1. More sputum
1. More frequent LRTIs (starts in childhood)
1. Bronchial dilation (do CT to c)
How can you differentiate CHF from COPD? (6 things)
CHF has:
1. Orthopnoea (SOB lying down)
1. PND
1. CVS Hx
1. Fine basal inspiratory crepitations
1. Elevated BNP
1. Reduced EF (do echo to c)
How can you differentiate Lung cancer from COPD? (3 things)
Lung cancer has:
1. WL
1. Haemoptysis (proper)
1. Tumour presence (do CXR / bronchoscopy to c)
How can you differentiate TB from COPD? (3 things)
TB has:
1. WL
1. Night sweats
1. Positive sputum culture / microscopy
What scoring system does NICE recommend to assess SOB of COPD pt?
MRC Dyspnoea Scale
What are the grades in the MRC Dyspnoea Scale? (5 things)
- Grade 1: SOB @ strenuous exercise
- Grade 2: SOB @ walking up hill
- Grade 3: SOB that slows down ur walking on flat
- Grade 4: Stop to catch breath after walking 100m on flat
- Grade 5: Can’t leave house bc SOB
What is the Dx of COPD based on? (2 things)
- Clinical
- Spirometry
What will Spirometry show in COPD?
- Obstructive picture aka FEV1 / FVC ratio: less than 0.7
- (overall lung capacity not as bad as ability to quickly blow air out lungs)
- If Spirometry results dramatically improve when you give Salbutamol what should you consider?
- Asthma as alternate Dx
What other investigations can you do to help Dx / exclude DDx? (7 things)
- CXR (cancer)
- FBC (anaemia / polycthaemia)
- BMI (WL)
- Sputum culture (TB / pseudomonas)
- ECG / Echo (CVS)
- CT (fibrosis / cancer / bronchiectasis)
- Serum alpha 1 antitrypsin (alpha 1 antitrypsin def)