Core: Respiratory Flashcards
Patient - Kid, wheezy, worse at night, cough, worse when exercising etc, PMH of eczema and hayfever
Asthma
Asthma Aetiology
- Hygiene hypothesis and Atopy
- Genetics - IL3/4
- Early exposure to allergens; smoking etc
Asthma Pathology
- Bronchial hyper-reactivity (air trapping - reduced V/Q), airway inflammation (narrowed lumen), obstruction.
Asthma Presentation
- Wheeze
- SOB
- PND (4-6am)
- Nocturnal cough
- Exercise bronchospasm
- Chest tightness
- General atopy
- Acute presentation, unable to speak in full sentences, use of acc muscles.
Asthma Ix
1) PEFR - morning and before and after SABA. Comparison to personal best.
2) Spiro - FEV1 improvement after SABA - restrictive FEV1:FVC normal or high >70%
3) Exercise tests
4) Histamine or methacholine provocation test for hyper-responsiveness.
5) Steroid trial - improvement PO 30mg pred.
6) CXR
7) Allergen testing
Asthma Rx
1) Control trigger and educate
2) Adults
- Occasional Sx - SABA PRN
- Daily Sx - SABA + ICS
- Severe Sx - ICS + LABA
- Uncontrolled - ICS + LABA + LTRA or theophylline
- Still deteriorating - + Oral steds.
- PEFR <30% admit. Asthma attack.
3) Kids
- 1 = SABA
- 2 = SABA + ICS
- 3 = + LTRA
- 4 = SABA + ICS + LABA - Less than 5yo refer.
ASTHMA ATTACK RX
- PEFR <30%, can’t speak in full sentences, increased WOB.
1) Oxygen + serial PEF
2) NEB salbutamol 10mg repeat if needed. - ABG, Bloods etc.
3) NEB ipratropium
4) IV hydrocortisone 200mg or PO pred
5) IV MGSO4 or salbutamol
Patient - fat, old, claims they have asthma, smoking Hx, frequent chest infections.
COPD
COPD Aetiology
- Long term exposure to toxins and smoking
- Alpha 1 antitrypsin
COPD Pathology
- Increased mucus and goblet cells
- Scarring and thickening of the walls of the airway
- Emphysema - loss of elastic recoil and air trapping
COPD Presentation
- Cough w/ clear sputum
- SOB
- Frequent exacerbation
- Prolonged expiration
- Increased WOB
- Systemic = HTN, Osteoporosis, depression.
- Pink puffer Vs blue bloater
- PP sensitive to C02, SOB all the time but not cyanosed.
- BB is insensitive to CO2 are cyanosed and oedematous however not SOB.
COPD Ix
1) Clinical
2) Spiro - obstructive (<70%) low PEF
3) CXR - often normal but rules out other patho.
4) Bloods - alpha 1 anti-trypsin + infection markers FBC - secondary polycythaemia+ raised MCV.
5) Sputum MC&S
COPD Rx
1) Lifestyle changes + monitoring regularly
2) SABA FOR Sx PRN
3) LABA + Anti-muscarinic (ipratropium)
4) + Steds
5) Rescue therapy - steds + ABx for those who need it.
6) Oxygen
Patient - Diagnosed CF, yellow sputum and failing lung function.
- Bronchiectasis
Bronchiectasis Aetiology
- CF
- Immune deficiency
- Kartagener’s syn
- Bronchial obstruction - tumour
Bronchiectasis Pathology
- Abnormal permanently dilated airways.
- The bronchial walls become inflamed, thickened and damaged.
- The mucus transport mechanisms are damaged.
- Mucus stagnation
- Infection; Pseudomonas, Haemophilus (most common), kleb.
Bronchiectasis Presentation
- Productive cough
- Developing SOB
- Persistent SOB
- Clubbing
- Frequent exacerbations
Bronchiectasis Ix
- CXR/CT - dilated bronchi w/ thick walls
- MC&S of sputum
- Dx and test for CF
Bronchiectasis Rx
- Chest physio and mucus drainage.
2. ABx - cefaclor 500mg 3xdaily or cipro 500mg BD to shift infection and halt disease progression.
Patient - severe chest infection w/ XR changes
- Pneumonia
Patient - develops new onset cough w/ sputum within 2 days of being admitted to hospital
- HAP
Patient - Develops chest infection + XR changes following surgery, suspected aspiration of vomit
- Aspiration pneumonia.
CAP causes
- Bacteria = pneumococcus, mycoplasma, legionella, klebsiella (alcoholics)
- Viral = influenza
RF’s = extremes of age, smoking, pre-existing resp conditions.
HAP causes
- Bacteria = Pseudomonas, E.coli, Klebsiella, MRSA.
Immunocompromised pneumonia causes
- Fungals - PCP, crytococcus, candida.
Pneumonia Presentation
- Cough; often productive.
Pneumococcal = rust coloured sputum. - SOB - as alveoli are full of pus and debris.
- Fever
- Pleuritic chest pain
- Abdominal pain
- Extrapulmonary = Myalgia, arthralgia, myo/pericarditis, erythema multiforme.
- Mycoplasma can present w/ lots of extrapulmonary Sx.