Lung disease

Question 1

What are the 2 categories of lung disease?

Answer 1

• Obstruction
• Restrictive

Question 2

What is an obstructive lung disease?

Answer 2

reduction in flow through airflow

Question 3

What is an restrictive lung disease?

Answer 3

reduction in lung disease

Question 4

What do both restrictive & obstructive lung disease?

Answer 4

BOTH reduce ventilation - reducing the flow of gas into the alveoli

Question 5

What is maximal expiration?

Answer 5

Rapid rise in flow up to peak flow. After this, the high flow rate decreases, until there is a linear decline in flow, until the residual volume is reached.

Question 6

What can cause obstructive lung disease?

Answer 6

• excess secretions
• bronchoconstriction - asthma
• inflammation (build up in fluid in surrounding tissue)

Question 7

What FEV1% is considered obstructive lung disease?

Answer 7

<80%

Question 8

How does an obstructive airway affect the time it takes to expire?

Answer 8

a longer time is taken to expire the air

Question 9

How is the flow-volume loop affected with someone with obstructive lung disease?

Answer 9

there is a sharp fall in flow-rate giving a concave shape to the curve

Question 10

How is vital capacity affected by obstructive lung disease?

Answer 10

not affected

Question 11

What are 3 types of obstructive diseases?

Answer 11

• Chronic Bronchitis (persistent cough due to excess mucus secretion)
• Asthma (hyperactivity of smooth muscle)
• Emphysema - loss of elastin (lack of elastic tissue in the alveoli)

Question 12

What are the 2 types of triggers of asthma?

Answer 12

• atopic (extrinsic) - allergies, action on the histamine receptors caused constriction.
• non-atopic (intrinsic) - respiratory infection, cold air, stress, exercise, inhaled irritants, drugs

Question 13

What is a response?

Answer 13

movement of inflammatory cells into the airways, release of inflammatory mediators such as histamine & subsequent bronchoconstriction

Question 14

What is a short-acting asthma treatment?

Answer 14

• short-acting Beta2-adrenoreceptor agonists - salbutamol (causes dilation of airways)

Question 15

What is a longer-acting asthma treatment?

Answer 15

• inhaled steroids. Glucocorticoids such as beclomethasone, act to reduce the inflammatory responses
• make be used alongside long acting Beta-adrenoreceptor agonist

Question 16

What can cause restrictive lung disease?

Answer 16

• reduced chest expansion
• chest wall abnormalities
• muscle contraction deficiencies

Question 17

What can cause loss of compliance (fibrosis)?

Answer 17

• normal ageing process
• increase in collagen
• exposure to environmental factors (e.g. coal dust entering lungs)

Question 18

What effect does restrictive lung disease have on spirometry?

Answer 18

• reduced vital capacity compared to predicted vital capacity

Question 19

What is the vital capacity based on?

Answer 19

height, gender, age

Question 20

How are volume-time curves affected by restrictive lung disease?

Answer 20

reduced FEV1, but FEV1% remains the same

Question 21

How are flow-volume loops affected by restrictive lung disease?

Answer 21

reduction in peak flow & reduction in volume of air moved

Question 22

What is asbestosis?

Answer 22

slow build-up of fibrous tissue leading to a loss of compliance

Question 23

What is asbestosis?

Answer 23

build up of fine asbestos accumulating in the lung

Question 24

Why does fibrous tissue build up around the asbestos particles?

Answer 24

as the body is unable to break it down