COPD Flashcards
What four pathologies encompass COPD?
Chronic bronchitis
Emphysema
Asthma
Bronchiectasis
What is the primary cause of chronic bronchitis and emphysema?
Smoking
How is COPD diagnosed?
Spirometry
What spirometric reading is present in a patient with COPD?
Decreased forced expiratory volume (FEV1)
What population is chronic bronchitis most frequent in?
Middle-aged men
What is the earliest feature of chronic bronchitis?
Hypersecretion of mucus and hypertrophy of the submucosal glands in the trachea and bronchi
As chronic bronchitis persists what occurs?
Goblet cells increase in small airways (bronchi and bronchioles) leading to excessive mucus production
Patient has been complaining of a cough for three years now that has been getting progressively worse as of late. The patient is getting more and more tired working out. He has tried multiple times to quit smoking in the past 15 years but has failed continuously. The patient presents with edema in the lower extremities and is a tint of blue around the face. What is this describing?
Chronic bronchitis
45 year old male smoker in the construction industry presents to your office today with a chronic cough lasting for “years” and is getting worse. You observe the patient coughing into a napkin and the cough is wet and mucousy. Spirometry shows a decreased FEV to 74% of normal values. Biopsy of tissue in the bronchi shows hypertrophy of glands and smooth muscle cells. The patient has a history of smoking since his early 20s. What is the likely diagnosis?
Chronic bronchitis
What is the formula for calculating vital capacity?
TV+ IRV + ERV
What is the formula for calculating total lung capacity?
TV + IRV + ERV + RV
What is emphysema?
A condition of the lung characterized by abnormal permanent enlargement of the airspaces distal to the terminal bronchiole in the alveoli
What mechanism is a plausible hypothesis for the destruction of alveolar walls in a patient with emphysema?
Protease-antiprotease mechanism
(Alpha1-anti-trypsin deficiency)
What enzyme is made by the lungs to protect itself from inflammatory conditions?
Alpha 1 - Antitrypsin
What enzyme is deficient in patients with emphysema?
Alpha 1 - Antitrypsin
A patient with emphysema under the age of 40 likely has a(n)____ alpha 1 - AT deficiency?
Congenital
(Over 40 likely acquired due to smoking)
Centrilobular emphysema is caused by ____?
Smoking
Panacinar emphysema is due to a ____ defect?
Congenital
What is usually the first symptom of emphysema?
Dyspnea
A patient with emphysema will have a heightened respiratory rate (TRUE/FALSE)?
TRUE