lower respiratory tract Flashcards
Lower Respiratory Tract (LRT) consists of
The LRT Consists of the following > Trachea > Bronchi > Bronchioles > Lung Alveoli
LRT bacteria
Typically, the lower respiratory tract is sterile
Areas below the larynx do not contain “normal flora”
Exceptions:
> Patients with
- Chronic Pulmonary Disease
- Endotracheal Tubes
- Tracheostomies
LRT infections usually occur when infecting organisms reach the
lower airways or pulmonary parenchyma via bypassing the
mechanical and other nonspecific barriers of the URT
Infections may result from
- inhalation of infectious aerosols
- aspiration of oral or gastric contents
- hematogenous spread
LRT Progression of viral
In order for a LRT infection to establish itself, a series of host
defenses must be overcome
> Different sequence of events for respiratory viruses as
opposed to bacterial pathogens
Progression of viral pathogens
> Involves spread among adjacent cells and distant inoculation
of susceptible cells by aspiration of infectious secretions
> To a lesser extent, hematogenous transmission of the virus
Lung infections by bacterial pathogens occur via direct
inoculation of organisms through aspiration from the URT
Bronchitis
> Infection and inflammation of the bronchi without
involvement of the lung parenchyma (pneumonia)
Peak season is the winter months
- Coincides with the period of peak incidence of infections
Bronchiolitis
> Infection and inflammation of the smaller bronchioles
> Most common LRT infection in children younger than 2 years
BRONCHITIS AND BRONCHIOLITIS causes
> During seasons when influenza is epidemic in the community, it is
the most common cause of acute bronchitis in the general population
During non-epidemic periods, viral pathogens include
- Rhinovirus
- Coronavirus
- Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV)
- Parainfluenza Virus
BRONCHITIS AND BRONCHIOLITIS Non-viral respiratory tract pathogens
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae
- Chlamydophila pneumoniae
- Bordetella pertussis
Predominate cause of bronchiolitis
RSV - Respiratory Syncytial Virus
BRONCHITIS AND BRONCHIOLITIS Pathogensis
> Evidence almost always exists of an antecedent or coexistent
URT infection in patients with acute bronchitis
- Begins with fever and cough
- Destruction of respiratory epithelium varies with pathogen present
- Infection and damage to the airway
- Inflammatory response, necrotic debris, and edema cause
symptoms
BRONCHITIS AND BRONCHIOLITIS
Clinical Manifestations
> Chronic Bronchitis - requires 3 months of symptoms for at least 2 years
- Linked to long-term cigarette smoking leading to worsening of symptoms
Acute Bronchitis - from an infectious process
Acute Bronchiolitis
- Infectious disease of infants
- Usually from RSV
-Wheezing, respiratory distress and air trapping
BRONCHITIS AND BRONCHIOLITIS
Complications
> Secondary Bacterial Infections
- Bacterial bronchitis or pneumonia
- Example pathogens - S. pneumonia, H. influenzae, M. catarrhalis
BRONCHITIS AND BRONCHIOLITIS Diagnosis
> Based on history and physical examination
Secondary infections usually easy to obtain from purulent sputum
RSV PCR testing may be done for infection control purposes during outbreaks
BRONCHITIS AND BRONCHIOLITIS treatment
> Mainly control symptoms
> Antibiotics in select cases
INFLUENZA
Epidemiology
> Late fall and early winter and persist into the spring; pandemics can occur
outside of typical season
Influenza causes
> Influenza A and B
Influenza A - Categorized into subtypes on the basis of two surface antigens
- Hemagglutinin (H)
- Neuraminidase (N)
Influenza B - Categorized into lineages
influenza pathogenesis
> Antigenic shift - Production of new virus - May prevent detection with kits in use > Pandemics in 1957 and 1968 - Caused by genetic re-assortment between influenza viruses from humans and birds > Pandemic in 2009 - H1N1 - Caused of re-assortment of genetic elements of human, swine and avian strains
Influenza clinical manifestation
> Fever, muscle pain and fatigue
influenza complications
> Populations at increased risk for severe disease
-Young children, pregnant women, patients with underlying health
conditions
Secondary bacterial pneumonias
- S. pneumoniae, S. aureus (including community-associated strains of
MRSA) and H. influenzae
influenza diagnosis
> In the setting of an influenza outbreak, acute febrile
respiratory illnesses can be diagnosed with relative certainty by
clinical criteria alone
Detection of virus, viral antigen, or viral nucleic acid
- Pharyngeal swabs, nasal washes, sputum or
bronchoalveolar lavage/washings
influenza treatment & prevention
> Antiviral drugs
- Neuraminidase inhibitors and M2 inhibitors
- Choice of treatment depends on the susceptibility of
currently circulating influenza strains along with patient
characteristics
prevention: Annual vaccination in the fall of each year (Flu Vaccine)
emerging viral RT infections
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)
> H5N1 avian influenza
> H7N9 avian in origin
Pandemic H1N1 influenza A and other swine influenza variants
> H1N1 influenza A pandemic
> H3N2 influenza A
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) caused by a coronavirus
(SARS-CoV)
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) caused by a coronavirus
(MERS-CoV)
The Novel Coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 that caused coronavirus
disease (COVID-19) – The Current Pandemic!
Adenovirus Infections
- Re-emergence in military and civilian populations
- Serotypes 4 and 7, group B serotype 14
acute pneumonia
Distinction between acute bronchitis and acute pneumonia
may be subtle
> Depends on the extent of involvement of the LRT with the
infectious process
> Patients who have bronchitis do not exhibit the physical,
radiographic, and pathologic findings of pulmonary
parenchymal involvement outside of the airways - this type of
involvement with the infectious process defines pneumonia
community aquired pneumonia ( CAP) definition
> The onset of symptoms is in the community or within the first two days
after admission to the hospital
CAP epidemiology
> CAP is one of the most common infections encountered in clinical practice
Leading cause of death from infection in persons over the age of 65
Vaccination against S. pneumonia (Most common bacterial pathogen in
children and adults)
- Resulted in decreases in invasive pneumococcal disease
- Despite advances in diagnostics and therapeutics in recent years,
mortality rates have remained unacceptably high
CAP causes
> Linked to viral infections during winter
Summer months - atypical pneumonia
Most cases are older adults or patients with underlying disease
Example Causes
RSV: children - especially in infants
Influenzae - most common virus isolated in adults
S. pneumoniae, Hib, M. pneumonia - adults
M. pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila - atypical
pneumonia
CAP pathogenesis
> In most cases, defense mechanisms of the lung, including
the ciliated epithelial cells and innate immune system
phagocytic cells can clear aspirated bacteria before infection
is established
LRT infections can occur when the
- bacteria involved are particularly virulent
- high inoculation of microorganisms
- immune system is compromised