Final Flashcards
What are the 2 global governing bodies responsible for molding our understanding, evaluation, and treatment of asthma?
GINA - Global Initiative for Asthma
NAEPP - National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
Describe GINA
Global Initiative for Asthma
Global in scope
Comprehensive guidelines for children and adults
Annual updates
Describe NAEPP
National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
National in scope
Comprehensive guidelines for children and adults
Updates annually
Why is it difficult to diagnose asthma?
Differing definitions
Differing manifestations, triggers, intensities ect
Subtypes of the disease are defined differently by different authorities
What is the GINA definition of asthma?
Asthma is a heterogeneous disease usually characterized by chronic airway inflammation
What airway characteristics are usually associated with asthma?
Airway hyperresponsiveness
Airway inflammation
What symptoms does GINA say define asthma?
Wheeze, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and cough that vary over time and intensity
Together with variable expiratory airflow limitation
Where does asthma lie on the dyspnea pyramid?
Bottom, lungs
Airways
What are asthma phenotypes?
Recognizable clusters of demographic, clinical or pathological characteristics
Keep in mind that these do not correlate strongly with specific pathological processes or treatment responses
What are the “Big Six” categories that encompass disease management?
Presentation
Definition
Epidemiology
Etiology/pathophysiology
Diagnosis
Management
What are questions you should be thinking about when considering patient presentation?
What does the patient look like coming through the door?
What are characteristic signs and symptoms
What history of present illness do we see?
What are the clinical manifestations that we can observe?
What is the difference between a definition of a disease and a diagnosis of a disease?
A definition defines what the disease is
Diagnosis is confirming that the patient has the disease
When considering the rarity, occurrence, and populations at risk for a disease, what category are we considering?
Epidemiology
What questions should we be asking when considering the epidemiology of a disease?
Is the condition common or rare?
Is this condition seen frequently? Rarely?
Does this conditions appearance correlate to a season?
What populations are at risk for this disease?
If we are thinking about the disease in regards to its frequency, seasonal correlation, and affected populations, we are thinking about the diseases
Epidemiology
When we are studying how a disease develops, what conditions lead to the disease and how the disease sabotages the body, we are discussing…
Etiology or pathophysiology
When considering pathophysiology, we must consider the following questions
How does the disease develop
What conditions give rise to the disease
How does the disease sabotage your body?
Give an example of how incidence can be communicated
How many new cases per hundred thousand people in the country/state/region over a year
In some cases it can be how many new cases per state per day, like with COVID
Define incidence in relation to epidemiology
How many new cases in a given number in a given population in a given length of time
What questions must we ask when attempting to diagnose a disease?
How do we confirm the presence of the disease
What are the appropriate tests to conduct to determine the presence of the disease?
What testing will help us isolate this condition as the patients root problem and rule out other problems?
Define prevalence in relation to epidemiology
How many people in the population have the condition
How would one select tests in order to diagnose a disease
Assess clinical manifestations
Consider typical tests and what they might reveal
ABG
Pulmonary function tests
Lab tests
Chest imaging
Survey the tests AVAILABLE and select the tests LIKELY TO BE PRODUCTIVE
We cant test everyone for everything
What is the prevalence of asthma?
7.8% in 2020
Why do we need to be thoughtful with our test selection?
Some tests will not give us useful information ie an STD panel when the patient has asthma
Want to eliminate the potential for false positives, the more tests run, the higher the chances are that a test is done incorrectly
Erroneous tests? IN THIS ECONOMY??
What do we need to consider when managing the disease post diagnosis?
How the disease is treated
What are the contributions respiratory therapy could make to the treatment
What are the two forms of disease management?
Acute management
Chronic management
How many people in the USA suffer from asthma?
Over 25 million
How many people suffer from asthma worldwide?
262 million
Where do most asthma related deaths occur?
Low and lower income countries where underdiagnosis and undertreatment is a challenge
Give examples of host factors that could contribute to an individuals likelihood to have asthma
Genetics
Gender
Obesity
What are environmental risk factors for asthma?
Allergens
Outdoors and indoors air pollutants
Infections
Occupational sensitizers
Tobacco smoke
Active or passive smoke
Diet
What muscle is affected by asthma?
Smooth muscle of bronchial airway
What does the smooth muscle of the bronchial airways do during an asthma exacerbation?
Constrict = bronchospasm
Describe secretions associated with asthma
Excessive production of whitish bronchial secretions
What portion of the immune system can be responsible for the thickening of the bronchial walls?
Inflammatory cells, usually eosinophils (white blood cells) infiltrate airway mucosa and cause inflammation
hat are other potential risk factors for asthma?
Drug use
Food additives and preservatives
Exercise induced bronchoconstriction
Gastroesophageal reflex
Nocturnal breathing disturbances
Emotional stress
Perimenstrual asthma
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosi
Repeated exacerbations resulting in bronchial wall inflammation can lead to what?
Fibrosis
In severe cases, remodeling
Secretions created during an asthma exacerbation can lead to what?
Mucous plugging
Hyperinflation of the alveoli = air trapping
In severe cases, atelectasis
How do eosinophils cause inflammation?
They release granulocytes which contain granules of chemical mediators that are toxic to invaders but also cause cellular damage
What are Charcot-Leiden crystals a sign of?
They are a sign of degranulation of eosinophils
Describe remodeling in regards to bronchial smooth muscle
Bronchiole smooth muscle in healthy airways is thin and strap-like. In airways where there have been repeated asthma exacerbations, the muscle experiences hypertrophy becoming thick and wide resulting in the narrowing of the airway
Basically the muscle hit the gym in the worst possible way
Describe remodeling in terms of the bronchial walls
Eosinophils infiltrate the airway mucosa and degranualate causing inflammation
Airways become inflamed and collect fluid
What two factors does GINA consider to be the foundation for an asthma diagnosis?
History of variable respiratory symptoms
Confirmed variable expiratory airflow limitation
What symptoms does GINA consider when looking at a potential asthma diagnosis?
Wheeze
Shortness of breath
Chest tightness
Cough
What qualities does the wheeze have to have to be indicative of asthma?
Polyphonic quality
Start and stop independently
Vary in tone and duration
Appear during expiration
What does it mean that the wheezes are polyphonic, start and stop independently, and vary in tone and duration?
It means that multiple different airways are producing the wheeze independently. A wheeze coming from one specific airway would not have a polyphonic quality, would have predictable starts and stops, and would not vary in tone and duration
A wheeze can be a symptom of another disease process. What is the defining factor surrounding the symptoms of asthma?
Variability in symptoms
What kind of variations can be expected with asthma related symptoms?
Multiple symptoms
Symptoms vary over time
Symptoms vary in intensity
Symptoms are often worse at night or upon waking
Symptoms are often triggered by exercise, laughter, allergens, cold air
Spirometry can be used to confirm what diagnostic criteria for asthma?
Variable expiratory airflow limitation
How does a forced vital capacity serve as a diagnostic tool for asthma?
Forcing the breath provokes any expiratory flow resistance to reduce the volume of air exhaled
Describe forced vital capacity
Take the biggest breath you can
Blow air out through mouthpiece as hard and as long as possible till lungs are empty
Take big breath on mouth piece
What measurements should be examined when performing a forced vital capacity?
FEV1
FEF 25-75%
PEFR
What is FEV1?
Forced expiratory volume over 1 second
Is smaller in patients with restrictive diseases because flow out of the lungs is resisted
What is FEF 25-75%?
Forced Expiratory Flow
Average flow rate generated by the patient during the middle 50% of the FVC measurement
What is PEFR?
Peak Expiratory Flow rate
The maximum flow rate generated during the FVC exhalation
If FEV1 improves after administering a bronchodilator, what does this indicate?
That the airway limitation is reversible
What are the markers for improvement with a positive bronchodilator responsiveness test?
An increase in FEV1 of greater than 12% or…
An increase in FEV1 volume of greater than 200 mL
T/F: People with normal lung function do not experience variability in PEFR over the course of a day
False. People with normal lung function experience variability in PEFR
People with asthma experience EXAGGERATED variability
Do people experience changes in PEFR on a diurnal basis? How would you test this?
Yes
Measure PEFR in the morning and evening checking for variability. Individuals with asthma will have a larger range of variability than those without
Describe the process for testing anti inflammatories on a potential asthma patient
Test lung function
Treat patient for 4 weeks with anti-inflammatories
Retest lung function
Improvement = asthma likely
What measurements would indicate antiinflammatory treatment success? By what degree?
FEV1
Increase in FEV1 by more than 12% or more than 200 mL
Describe the positive exercise challenge test
Test patient lung function
Have patient exercise
Test for decreased lung function, decrease could be because of asthma
What kind of test utilizes irritants to test lung function?
Bronchial provocation test
Methacholine challenge test
What is the goal of the bronchial provocation/methacholine challenge test?
Provoke symptoms by administering an irritant and determine how much irritant is required to cause symptoms
What irritants can be used to provoke symptoms for the bronchial challenge test?
Methacholine
Standaradized hyperventilation
Hypertonic saline
Mannitol
What would constitute a positive result with the bronchial challenge test?
A decrease in FEV1 from baseline by 20% or more
The bronchial challenge test can have the procedure altered. Explain how this is done and what it can reveal
Patients are given increase amounts of irritants until their FEV1 drops 20% or more
Healthy patients will be able to tolerate a much greater amount of irritant than patient who potentially have asthma
T/F: Allergy tests can be useful for the diagnosis of asthma
True-ish. They can be a portion of an asthma diagnosis but they are not sufficient alone to diagnose asthma. They are more useful for the management of asthma than the diagnosis
T/F: A high eosinophil count has no relation to asthma
False. A high eosinophil count is associated with severe asthma
What exhaled gas can be used to determine whether or not the airways are experiencing eosinophilic airway inflammation?
The fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide
An increase in the fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide can mean what?
Eosinophilic airway inflammation
Why is differential diagnosis important when attempting to diagnose asthma?
Multiple disease processes have the same signs and symptoms as asthma and a misdiagnosis could be fatal for a patient. Therefore it is important to keep potential diagnostic options open until they are eliminated via testing
During a physical examination, what vital signs could indicate or support the potential diagnosis that a patient is suffering from asthma?
Tachypnea
Tachycardia
Increased blood pressure
What muscular movements could support or indicate that a patient is potentially suffering from asthma?
Accessory muscles of inspiration
Accessory muscles of expiration
Pursed lip breathing
Substernal intercostal retractions
T/F: increased anteroposterior chest diameter could be a sign of asthma
True….apparently
T/F: Sputum production is not associated with asthma
False. Asthmatics can produce a white frothy sputum
A condition where blood pressure decreases during inspiration and increases during expiration is called what
Pulsus paradoxus
Describe pulsus paradoxus
Decreased blood pressure during inspiration
Increased blood pressure during expiration
How much does systolic blood pressure decrease by during inspiration in healthy individuals
2-4 mmHg with normal inhalation
How much can blood pressure decrease by during inspiration in people suffering an asthma exacerbation
> 10 mmHg
A pneumothorax could cause a patients pulse to feel…
Thready (weak)
When performing a chest assessment, what might you notice in a patient suffering from asthma?
Expiratory prolongation
Decreased tactile and vocal fremitus
Hyperresonant percussion note
Diminished breath sounds
Diminished heart sounds
Wheezing
Crackles
Why would asthma cause a decrease in the FEV1 and the PEFR?
Asthma is a obstructive disease that prevents patients from completely exhaling due to inflamed, damaged or narrowed airways
You conduct a pulmonary function test on a patient that is suspected to have asthma. What flow measurements would be the most significantly affected by the disease? How?
Decreased FEV1 (Forced expiratory volume over 1 second)
Decreased PEFR (Peak expiratory flow rate)
You conduct a pulmonary function test on a patient that is suspected to have asthma. What capacity measurements would be the most significantly affected by the disease?
FRC
TLC
Why would the FRC and TLC be increased on a patient who is suffering from asthma?
Asthma is a obstructive disease that prevents patients from completely exhaling due to inflamed, damaged or narrowed airways resulting in more air remaining in the lungs after exhalation
A patient is brought in to the ER during the early stages of a moderate asthma exacerbation. You run an ABG on them. What would you expect to see?
Decreased PaCO2
Increased pH
Decreased PaO2
Decreased oxygen saturation
You perform an ABG on a patient and the results show decreased PaCO2, increased pH, decreased HCO3-, decreased PaO2, and decreased oxygen oxygen saturation. At the point when the ABG was drawn, would the patient be described as compensating or decompensating?
Compensating. Low PaCO2 indicates hyperventilation
A sputum sample is sent to the lab. The lab reports back that the sample contains Charcot-Leyden crystals. What does this indicate?
The presence of Charcot-Leyden crystals demonstrates that eosinophils have degranulated and caused inflammation due to an allergic reaction
What could you expect to see in a sputum sample from a patient suffering from asthma
Eosinophils
Charcot-leydon crystals
Cast of of mucus from small airways (curschmanns spirals)
IgE
What would you expect to find on a chest radiograph of an individual having an asthma exacerbation?
Translucent (dark) lung fields
Depressed or flattened diaphragm
What are GINA’s goals for managing asthma?
Control the symptoms
Reduce the risk of exacerbations
What are the steps GINA recommends when treating asthma?
Review
Assess
Adjust
hat does GINA recommend during the review phase?
Symptoms
Exacerbations
Side effects
Lung function
Comorbidities
Patient satisfaction
What does GINA focus on during the assessment phase?
Confirmation of a diagnosis if necessary
Symptom control and modifiable risk factors
Comorbidities
Inhaler technique and adherence
Patient preferences and goals
After the review and assessment phase, GINA recommends a phase of adjustment to optimize the treatments and outcomes. What does this consist of?
Treatment of modifiable risk factors and comorbidities
Non pharmacological strategies
Asthma medication adjustments
Education and skills training
What is the difference between controller medications and reliever medications?
Controller medications are referred to as background medications that are intended to keep symptoms from arising. Reliever medications are intended to rapidly stop symptoms once they begin
What is the goal of a controller medication?
Prevent symptoms from arising
Reduce risk of exacerbation and compromised lung function
If activated, what do leukotrienes cause?
Bronchoconstriction
Inflammatory cell recruitment
Increased vascular permeability
Secretion production
What is track 2 of the GINA recommendation for asthma treatment?
SABA as a reliever