LTRI in Adults Flashcards
What does itis mean?
Inflammation
What is an abscess?
When bacteria in the lung form a pocket of infected fluid
What is acute bronchitis?
Inflammation of the bronchi
How does acute bronchitis last for?
It lasts less than 3 weeks
What are the main symptoms of acute bronchitis?
Cough and sputum
What is the definition of chronic bronchitis (COPD)?
A cough that lasts 3 months of the year for at least 2 years in a row.
What are the supportive ways to manage acute bronchitis?
Drinking lotrs of fluid and taking paracetamol.
What are the main symptoms of a COPD exacerbation?
Changes in the color and amount of sputum, fever, increased breathlessness, Wheeze and cough
What are the organisms that cause COPD exacerbations?
Streptococcus pneumonia, Haemophilus influenzae, moraxella catarrhalis,
What are the main treatments of COPD exacerbations?
- Steroids ( to reduce the inflammation)
- Antibiotics (depending on whether or not it is infectious) - Amoxycillin, doxycycline, co-trimoxazole, clarithromycin
- +/- nebulisers
What is pneumonia?
Inflammation of the lung parenchyma (functional tissue of the lung)
What are the three types of pneumonia?
Lobar, intersitial and bronchopneumonia
What does consolidation mean?
Solidification due to cellular exudate in alveoli leads to impaired gas exchange
What are 8 risk factors of pneumonia?
- Smoking
- Alcohol in excess
- Extremes of age
- Preceeding viral illnesses (flu)
- preexisting lung disease (COPD)
- Chronic illness
- Immunocompromised (HIV, CHEMOTHERAPY)
- Hospitalisation
- IV drug abusers
What are 7 symptoms of pneumonia?
- Fever
- Rigors (shivers)
- Myalgia (pain in the muscles)
- cough and sputum
- Chest pain
- Dysponea (breathlessness)
- Haemoptysis
What does rusty brown sputum mean?
Streptococci pneumoniae
What are 7 signs that you expect to find on examination of someone with pneumoniae?
- Tachypnea - raised RR
- Tachycardia - increased HR > 90 bpm
- Reduced lung expansion
- Dull percussion note
- Bronchial breathing
- Crepitations (/snapping open of the alveoli)
- Vocal resonance increases
What are the investigations to be carried out on community pneumoniae?
None but CXR if in doubt.
What are 6 investigations to carry out in hospital pneumonia?
- Blood chemistry for the blood count, Full blood count, and an inflammatory marker called C reactive protein
- Blood cultures
- CXR
- Throat swab
- Sputum culture
- Legionella urinary antigen
What are the differential diagnoses for pneumonia?
- TB
- Lung cancer
- Pulmonary embolism
- Pulmonary edema
- Pulmonary vasculitis