general Flashcards
an elderly man enters your GP surgery complaining of increasing SOB, has started taking the bus as can only manage to walk 1/2mile before becoming breathless. he has a Hx of ischemic heart disease, TIIDM, HTN, gastro-oesophageal reflux and depression.
a) What are your initial differentials?
b) what red flags should you ask for?
c) what further Ix would you suggest and why?
a) - COPD
- asthma
- angina
- heart failure
- infection
- bronchiectasis
- tumour
- interstitial lung disease
- pleural effusion
- ACEi cough
b) haemoptysis, weight loss, chest pain, hoarseness
c) FBC - anaemia can cause breathlessness, secondary polycythaemia can be a consequence of COPD
CXR - COPD changes (hyperinflation, flattened diaphragm and to exclude other resp causes)
ECG - bradycardia, arrhythmia such as AF
echo - heart failure
spirometry - restrictive or obstructive picture
what type of inhalers are salbutamol and increase ellipta?
SABA (relived) and LAMA (preventer)
what does a spirometry of FEV1/FVC <0.7 and FEV1 <80% suggest?
consistent with airway obstruction
the severity of airflow obstruction can be classified according to the degree of impairment of FEV1 using the global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease criteria
what’s the most important advice you can give your pt just diagnosed with C|OPD?
stop smoking
what are the risk factors of COPD?
smoking
air pollution
occupational exposure
alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
what medication is given in an acute exacerbation of COPD?
what medication is used if 2days later, the pt is not better/worse?
the pt is no better and is taken to hospital. what are the initial Ix?
doxycycline 200mg, followed by 100mg OD and prednisolone 30mg daily for 5 days
+ nebuliser salbutamol (SABA) and ipatropium (SAMA)
CXR, bloods (FBC, U+Es, LFTs, CRP, glucose and lactate), blood +sputum cultures, ABG, insert IV cannula
*pt prescribed 2L/min O2 via nasal cannula as well as nebuliser salbutamol and ipatropiam
ABG show low pO2 and normal pCO2 and pH. what does this suggest?
type 1 respiratory failure
- caused by oxygenation being a problem, for various reasons including infection, pleural effusion or pulmonary oedema. the Tx for this is oxygen
what are the risks of Ox therapy in an acute setting?
- over oxygenation can reduce the hypoxic drive, so that the lungs lose their feedback mechanism to work harder. this can lead to reduced respiratory rate and CO2 retention
- in principle, pt’s with COPD have a target Ox sat of 88-92% (and all other acutely unwell pt’s SpO2>94%) to minimise the risks of precipitating respiratory failure in susceptible pt’s
a pt, with type 1 resp failure, condition deteriorates. there is increasing breathlessness and confusion. they are agitated and trying to remove the oxygen. you perform an ABG and it shows low pH, low pO2 and high pCO2 and normal bicarbonate - what is the diagnosis?
type 2 respiratory failure
there is elevated pCO2 and low pH
this is acute
normal bicarbonate suggests this patient is not normally a chronic retainer of CO2
what is the treatment of acute type 2 resp failure?
non-invasive ventilation
the pt needs oxygen but is in resp failure. if they are given more O2 then their acidosis will get worse
bilevel positive airway pressure gives inspiratory and expiratory airwavey pressure. in inspiration in boosts alveolar ventilation and in expiration it prevents alveolar collapse
this has many advantages over invasive mechanical ventilation in that patients are able to communicate, eat and drink, undergo physio and receive nebuliser and oral med more easily, but some its find it difficult to tolerate due to the close-fitting mask
what are the indications and contraindications for long term oxygen therapy?
O2 is not a Tx for breathlessness but hyperaemia
criteria for referral for further assessment for O2:
- SpO2<92% on air
- FEV1 <30%
- polycythaemia
- peripheral oedema
-cyanosis
- raised JVP
- hospital assessment will include measurement of arterial blood gases and criteria are pO2<7.3kPa or <8.0kPa with cor pulmonate
- main contraindication is if the pt continue to smoke and the danger of naked flames, such as open fire, due to risk of explosion
- relative = risk of falls with equipment
describe the conducting and respiratory parts of the bronchial tree
trachea -> main bronchi -> lobar bronchi -> segmental brunch -> bronchioles (conducting, terminal, respiratory) -> alveolar ducts -> alveolar sac
anything above the bronchioles is conducting zone and anything below is the respiratory zone
describe the features of the bronchial tubes that become damaged in chronic bronchitis
(infection of the main airways of the bronchi, causing them to become irritated and inflamed. The main symptom is a cough, which may with yellow-grey mucus - chronic = daily productive cough that lasts 3months of the year for at least 2 years)
- inflamed bronchial tubes produce a lot of mucus –> coughing and difficulty breathing
- narrowing of lumens of the conducting part of the bronchial tree due to injury
- loss of cilia and accumulation of mucous
- coughing, which causes more injury to the bronchial tree
describe the features of the alveolus that become damaged in emphysema
- damage to alveoli causes emphysema
- over time, the inner walls of the air sacs weaken and rupture. fewer and larger sacs results in decrease SA and less effective gas exchange
- low O2 sats and pt is SOB
- lungs can become stretched out as they lose their ‘springiness’
- air becomes trapped in the lungs, harder to breathe out
what is the clinical presentation of COPD?
- dysponsea
- wheeze
- cough
- sputum production
- cyanosis
- raised JVP (hypoxia in alveoli -> vasoconstriction to redirect blood to healthy alveoli -> pulmonary hypertension)
- peripheral oedema (cor pulmonale)
- hyper inflated chest
- cachexia
- resonant or hyper resonant percussion
- recurrent infection
- common in older people. neutrophil driven. characterised by a slow progression of symptoms
what are the 3 changes on spirometer in obstructive lung disease?
(air is trapped in expiration –> residual volumes are higher)
- reduced FEV1
- high FRC
- high RV
describe what a pleural effusion is
fluid in the pleural space/ between layers of the pleura as a result of increased fluid formation and/or reduced fluid resorption
outline the typical radiographic features and examination findings of pleural effusion
initial diagnostic imaging = plain radiograph:
- small effusions blunt the costophrenic angle
- larger ones are seen as water-dense shadows with concave upper borders
- a completely flat horizontal upper border implies that there is also a pneumathorax
- characteristic features:
>blunting of costophrenic angles
>blunting of cardiophrenic angle
> fluid within horizontal or oblique fissures
- eventually a meniscus will be seen
> mediastinal shift in larger volumes away from effusion
presentation:
- bronchial breathing at the top of the effusion
- decreased expansion
- decreased percussion
- decreased air entry/ diminished breathing sounds
- won’t hear pt’s voice auscultating. decreased vocal resonance
list common causes of pleural effusion (differentiate between causes of transudates and exudates)
broad split into transudates and exudates which really on biochemical analysis of aspirated fluid
transudates (is fluid pushed through the capillary due to high pressure within the capillary):
- left ventricular failure
- liver cirrhosis
- hypoalbuminaemia
- peritoneal dialysis
- hypothyroidism
- nephrotic syndrome
exudates (is fluid that leaks around the cells of the capillaries secondary to infection, inflammation or malignancy):
- tuberculosis
- malignancy
- pulmonary embolism
- pneumonia
- RA
- benign asbestos effusion
- pancreatitis
- post-myocardial effusion
describe how Light’s criteria can distinguish between exudate and transudate
- in order to apply lights criteria, the total protein and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) should be measured in both the blood and pleural fluid
> pleural fluid Is an exudate if one or more of the following criteria are met:
- pleural fluid protein divided by serum protein is >0.5
- pleural fluid LDH divided by serum LDH is >0.6
- pleural fluid LDH >2/3 the upper limits of lab normal value for serum LDH
what is a pneumothorax?
air in the pleural cavity (interspace between the lung and the chest wall)
outline common causes and risk factors of pneumothorax
- most common is primary spontaneous (especially in young, thin men)
- other causes are associated with underlying disease (secondary pneumothorax) e.g. asthma, cold, pneumonia, carcinoma, CF, connective tissue disorders (Marfan’s)
risk factors:
- smoking
- height/weight
- age
- marfans syndrome
- FHx
- chest trauma
outline the presentation and evaluation of suspected pneumathorax
- might be asymptomatic (fit, young and small pneumothorax) OR sudden onset dyspnoea +/or sharp pleuritic chest pain
- sudden deterioration in asthma or copd
- reduced expansion
- hyper resonance percussion
- diminished breathing on the affected side
- in tension pneumothorax, the trachea will be deviated from the affected side and cyanosis, sweating, severe tachypnoea, tachycardia, hypotension
examination:
- pulse (tachycardia (>135 suggests tension)
- BP (hypo, raised JVP)
- chest exam
- CXR (confirms Dx; standard erect Xray in inspiration)
- USS
- CT
- ABG (hypoxemia)
outline the Tx options for pneumothorax
- Tension p requires urgent decompression
spontaneous pneumathorax (SP) straight to chest drain if bilateral/haemodynamically unstable.
primary SP:
- if >2cm +/or breathless -> needle aspirate -> consider discharge review in 2-4 weeks if successful; chest drain +admit if not
- discharge and review if <2cm and not breathless
secondary SP:
- if >2cm or breathless -> chest drain and admit
- <2cm and not breathless -> aspirate if 1-2cm -> chest drain if unsuccessful; if successful admit
admit + high flow oxygen +observe for 24hrs