Lower respiratory tract infection - adults Flashcards
What is acute bronchitis?
Inflammation of the bronchi
Is temporary so lasts less than 3 weeks
Usually viral
Symptoms - cough and sputum
What is the treatment for acute bronchitis?
Supportive management - drinking lots of fluid and taking paracetamol
What is chronic bronchitis defined as?
Cough lasting 3 months of the year for at least 2 years in a row
When would you go see the GP with bronchitis?
Cough lasts more than 3 weeks, high temp. for more than 3 days, sputum is streaked with blood, have underlying heart or lung condition, if becoming more breathless and have had repeated episodes of bronchitis
What are the symptoms of a COPD exacerbation?
Change in colour and amount of sputum
Fever
Increased breathless
Wheeze
Cough
What are common bacterial and virial causes of COPD exacerbations?
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Haemophilus influenzae
Moraxella catarrhalis
Many viral causes
What is the treatment for COPD exacerbations?
Steroids to reduce inflammation
Antibiotics for infection - amoxicillin, doxycycline, co-trimoxazole and clarithromycin
Maybe nebulisers if severe
What is pneumonia?
Inflammation of lung parenchyma - comprises of thin walled alveoli
What is bronchopneumonia?
It is the acute inflammation of the bronchi, accompanied by inflamed patches in the nearby lobules of the lungs
Is patchy and usually only one lung affected
What is lobar pneumonia?
Lobar pneumonia is a form of pneumonia characterized by inflammatory exudate within the intra-alveolar space resulting in consolidation that affects a large and continuous area of the lobe of a lung
What is interstitial pneumonia?
Is an inflammatory process and is usually viral
What are some of the risk factors for pneumonia?
Smoking and alcohol excess
Extremes of age
Preceding viral illness, Pre-existing lung diseases, chronic illness, immunocompromised, hospitalisation and IV drug abusers
What are the symptoms of pneumonia?
Fever, rigors and myalgia - pain in muscles
Cough and sputum
Chest pain that is increased on deep inspiration
Dyspnoea - SOB
What are some clinical signs of pneumonia?
Tachypnoea, tachycardia, reduced expansion, dull percussion, bronchial breathing, crepitations and vocal resonance as lung is more solid
What does rusty brown sputum in a patient show?
They have strep. pneumoniae
What community investigations would be made in pneumonia?
Maybe non
CXR if diagnosis in doubt or not improving
What investigations could be made in the hospital for pneumonia?
Bloods - serum biochemistry, FBC and CRP
Blood cultures
CXR
Sputum culture, viral throat swab
Legionella urinary antigen
What are differential diagnosis to a patient with pneumonia symptoms?
Tuberculosis, Lung cancer, Pulmonary embolism, Pulmonary oedema, Pulmonary vasculitis