Cough and Colds Flashcards
True or False:
Cough is a protective reflex
True
Its purpose is expulsion of respiratory secretions or foreign particles from the airway
Cough
What stimulates cough?
Mechanoreceptors or chemoreceptors in throat, respiratory passage, or stretch receptors in the lungs
Investigations required in patients with cough
Chest x-ray
Sputum (for organisms)
Bronchoscopy
Cough is due to specific disease conditions like
tuberculosis (TB)
bronchial asthma
bronchiectasis
lung abscess
Bronchial tree irritants that causes cough
Smoking
Dust
Allergens
Irritative food
Should productive cough be suppressed?
In principle, NO. It is useful.
Examples of antihistamines
Promethazine
Chlorphenamine
Diphenhydramine
Examples of opioids
Codeine
Morphine
Example on non-opioid
Dextromethrophan
These are soothing and inhibit irritation
Pharyngeal demulcents
Examples of pharyngeal demulcents
Lozenges
Cough drops
Examples of mucolytics
Bromhexine
Acetylcysteine
A viral infection affecting the membranes of the nose, throat, and bronchial tree
Common cold
Symptoms of common cold
Watery discharge from nose Oedema of the nasal mucosa Difficulty breathing via nose Headache Fever
True or False:
Common colds are self-limiting.
True
If common cold is self-limiting, does that mean it may need no specific treatment?
Yes
Examples of antipyretics
Aspirin
Paracetamol
An antihistamine used to reduce production of mucus by nasal mucosa
Chlorphenamine
These act by stimulating alpha adrenoreceptors
Ephedrine nasal drops
They relieve nasal congestion by shrinking blood vessels and this widening the nasal passages and slowing down mucus production
Decongestants
These decongestants work more quickly
Topical Decongestant Nasal Sprays
Topical decongestant nasal sprays/drops use is limited to a maximum duration of?
7 days
Loosen the mucus or phlegm in the airways to help clear of irritants, therefore it is easier to cough up.
Expectorants
This offers maximum loosening of mucus
Water
These are only for dry, hacking cough, and reduces the urge to cough
Suppresants
Suppressants may increase the effects of _______ and can cause _____.
alcohol, drowsiness
If suppressants are taken regularly, it may cause ______.
constipation
Suppressants are not recommended for children under?
12 months
Some cough medicines contain what two types of drugs?
expectorant and suppressant
These drugs help block pain of muscle, headache, and lower high temperature
Antipyretics
Examples of antipyretics
Aspirin Ibuprofen Mefenamic acid Naproxen sodium Paracetamol Salicylate
Prolonged taking of some antipyretics can cause?
gastrointestinal bleeding/ulceration
Giving aspirin or salicylates to children and teenagers is dangerous because of its association to what syndrome?
Reye’s syndrome
Reye’s syndrome usually occurs to children between what ages?
3 to 12 years of age
Type of antihistamine that induces sleep
Sedating antihistamines
Type of antihistamine that do not induce sleep
Non-sedating antihistamines
What do antihistamines do
Antihistamines help dry up nasal secretions
