Lower Respiratory Tract Infection/ Pathology, Clinical Features and Management in Adults

Question 1

what is acute bronchitis?

Answer 1

short term inflammation of the bronchi of the lungs

Question 2

what are symptoms of acute bronchitis?

Answer 2

coughing mucus
cough
wheezing
shortness of breath
fever
chest discomfort

Question 3

how long does acute bronchitis generally last?

Answer 3

from a few to 10 days

Question 4

what are the major complications of acute bronchitis?

Answer 4

severe shortness of breath
COPD
respiratory failure
increased mortality rate

Question 5

what is pneumonia?

Answer 5

lung inflammation caused by bacterial or viral infection, in which the air sacs fill with pus and may become solid

Question 6

does pneumonia effect both lungs as well as just one?

Answer 6

yes

Question 7

what is the best way for diagnosing pneumonia?

Answer 7

a chest x-ray

Question 8

what are used to confirm an infection and identify the type of organism causing infection?

Answer 8

blood tests

Question 9

what are the signs and symptoms of pneumonia?

Answer 9

chest pain when you breathe or cough
confusion or changes in mental awareness
cough, which may produce phlegm
fatigue
fever, sweating and shaking chills

Question 10

what are complication of pneumonia?

Answer 10

bacteremia
difficulty breathing
pleural effusion
lung abscess

Question 11

what is bronchiectasis?

Answer 11

a disease in which there is permanent enlargement of parts of the airways in the lung

Question 12

what are the clinical features of bronchiectasis?

Answer 12

cough and daily mucopurulent sputum production
blood streaked sputum or hemoptysis from airway damage associated with acute infection
dyspnea
pleuritic chest pain
wheezing
fever
weakness
fatigue
wight loss

Question 13

what are symptoms of bronchiectasis?

Answer 13

chronic cough with mucus production
shortness of breath
coughing up of blood
chest pain

Question 14

what is a lung abscess?

Answer 14

it is defined as necrosis of the pulmonary tissue and formation of cavities containing necrotic debris or fluid caused by microbial infection

Question 15

what is the pus filled cavity in a lung abscess caused by?

Answer 15

aspiration, which may occur during anaesthesia, sedation or unconsciousness from injury

Question 16

what is the formation of multiple small abscesses occasionally referred to as?

Answer 16

necrotising pneumonia or lung gangrene

Question 17

early symptoms of lung abscess are similar to what other lower respiratory tract infection?

Answer 17

pneumonia

Question 18

what are the early symptoms of lung abscesses?

Answer 18

fatigue
sweating during the night
fever
a cough that brings up sputum

Question 19

what are the complications of lung abscesses?

Answer 19

rupture into pleural space causing empyema,
pleural fibrosis and
a trapped lung

Question 20

what is a pleural empyema?

Answer 20

it is a collection of pus in the pleural cavity caused by microorganisms, usually bacteria

Question 21

name a kind of pleural effusion

Answer 21

an empyema

Question 22

what does an empyema normally occur?

Answer 22

after pneumonia, injury or chest surgery

Question 23

what are the symptoms of a simple empyema?

Answer 23

shortness of breath
dry cough
fever
sweating
chest pain when breathing that may be described as stabbing
headache
confusion
loss of appetite

Question 24

what is bronchopneumonia?

Answer 24

it is an acute inflammation of the lungs, arising in the bronchi or bronchioles

Question 25

what are symptoms of bronchopneumonia?

Answer 25

fever
a cough that brings up mucus
shortness of breath
chest pain
rapid breathing
sweating
chills
headaches

Question 26

what are complications of bronchopneumonia?

Answer 26

bloodstream infections
sepsis
lung abscess
pleural effusion

Question 27

what are blood tests used for in the diagnosis of bronchopneumonia?

Answer 27

to confirm an infection and to try and identify the type of organism causing the infection

Question 28

why would a chest x-ray be done in the diagnosis of bronchopneumonia?

Answer 28

to help diagnose and determine the extend and location of the infection

Question 29

what is lobar pneumonia?

Answer 29

it is an acute exudative inflammation of an entire pulmonary lobe

Question 30

what are the presentations of lobar pneumonia?

Answer 30

productive cough
dyspnoea
pyrexia
riggers
malaise
pleuritic pain
occasionally haemoptysis

Question 31

what are clinical presentations of lobar pneumonia?

Answer 31

dulness to percussion in a lobar pattern, bronchial breathing and adventitious breath sounds

Question 32

what are the complications of lobar pneumonia?

Answer 32

subphrenic abscess

Question 33

what would you do to diagnose lobar pneumonia?

Answer 33

a chest x ray
blood tests
sputum sample

Question 34

what are the complications and consequences of lower respiratory tract infections?

Answer 34

apnoea
encephalopathy
meningitis
Steven Johnson syndrome
bronchiectasis
lung abscess

Question 35

what is apnoea?

Answer 35

it is temporary cessation of breathing, especially during sleep

Question 36

what is encephalopathy?

Answer 36

it is a disease in which the functioning of the brain is affected by some agent or condition

Question 37

what is Steven Johnson syndrome?

Answer 37

it is a type of severe skin reaction

Question 38

what do all patients with empyema require?

Answer 38

antibiotic treatment and pleural fluid drainage

Question 39

what is the treatment of empyema aimed at?

Answer 39

removing the pus and fluid from the pleura and treating the infection

Question 40

what are antibiotics used for in the treatment of an empyema?

Answer 40

they are used to treat the underling infection

Question 41

what does the method used to drain the pus depend on?

Answer 41

the stage of the empyema

Question 42

what are common organisms leading to a lower respiratory tract infection?

Answer 42

Strep. pneumonia
haemophilia influenzae
moraxella catarrhalis
staphylococcus aureus
mycoplasma
chlamydia
coxiella
legionella