Lecture 18 Flashcards
What is otitis media?
When the inner and middle ear become infected with respiratory vriuses leading to bulging of the ear drum
What is the appearance and purpose of respiratory epithelium?
Ciliated to sweep mucus containg pathogens out of the respiratory tract and into the GI tract where it can be destroyed by the low pH of the stomach
How is the size of droplets produced by coughing important?
Small droplets will remain in the air for a long time and may penetrate right down to the alveoli meaning that they can cause infection in upper and lower airways while large droplets will settle faster and be deposited in the upper airways causing infection there
What are the recognition molecules for three types of respiratory virus?
Influenza Virus: Sialic acid
Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Herapin-like glycosaminoglycan
Rhinovirus: Intracellular adhesion molecule 1
What is the relevance of the receptor molecules for respiratory viruses?
They can provide drug targets
Distribution of receptors on the airways differs and can modify where the virus can cause infection
What causes damage in the pathogenesis of the influenza virus?
The budding out of the newly made virus particles in the cell can damage the cell leading to loss of function and thickening of airways
How can damage to the epithelial lining of the respiratory tract cause damage?
The loss of normal respiratory epithelium can lead to mucous build up as the cilia are unable to sweep the mucus away
The presence of necrotic material increases the viscosity of the mucous
Tissues swell potentially obstructing airways
Why are respiratory illness’ more severe in infants and elderly?
Young children have small airways making them susceptible to blocking
Elderly people often have airways which already contain much damage
How many colds will children and adults experience each year on average?
4/year for adults and 8/year for children
How common is influenza?
15%/year
How common is bronchioltits due to RSV?
1-2% In children aged 1-3 years
What is the frequency of Upper respiratory illness compared to to other ailments?
5.5%
What is the frequency of Acute Bronchitis compared to other ailments?
5.4%
What is the frequency of Otitis media compared to other ailments
4.9%
What is the frequency of tonsilitis compared to other ailments?
3.9%
What are the bacteria which are the common cause of respiratory illnesses?
S.Pneumonia
Haemophilus influenzae
Moraxella Catarrhalis
S.Pyogenes