Medicine: Resp Flashcards
What clinical signs should you enquire more about?
Plasters and IV infusions
Examination findings of pneumothorax
Trachea - deviated away Expansion - reduced Fremitus - decreased Percussion - resonant Auscultation - absent
How are pneumothoracies classified? (3)
Spontaneous: 1° w/o and 2° w underlying disease
Traumatic: blunt (closed), penetrating (open), iatrogenic
Tension: progressively inc pressure, cardioresp compromise, life threatening
Any type may lead to tension, clinical dx, medical emerg
Which drain do you use for pneumothoraces?
Just the underwater seal bottle
Describe bubbling and swinging wrt chest drains?
Bubbles - air is being expelled during expiration
Swinging - the fluid going up and down the tube during insp/exp
Swinging w/o bubbles shows all the air from the pneumothorax is out
If the drain doesn’t stop bubbling what does this suggest? And what should you do?
There’s a fistula -> requires specialist intervention
Examination findings of pleural effusion
Trachea - deviated away Expansion - reduced Fremitus - decreased Percussion - stoney dull Auscultation - absent
What does dec tactile vocal fremitus suggest?
Pleural effusion - liquid - absorbs sound
What is the g/L for both exudative and transudative pleural effusion?
Exudative: >35
Transudative: <25
Outline Lights criteria for exudative vs transudative pleural effusion
Any one of is exudative vs if none transudative:
Pleural:Serum Protein >0.5
Pleural:Serum LDH >0.6
Pleural Fluid LDH >2/3 upper limit of normal
List four exudative causes of pleural effusion (high protein content)
Infection, malignancy, pulmonary embolism, AI disease
List four transudative causes of pleural effusion (low protein content)
Congestive HF, hepatic cirrhosis, nephrotic syndrome, CKD
Patho of exudative pleural effusion
Inc capillary permeability
Patho of transudative pleural effusion
Inc capillary hydrostatic pressure
Dec capillary oncotic pressure
Which causes of pleural effusion a/w low glucose? (4)
MEAT
Malignancy
Empyema
Arthritis
TB
Which drain do you use for pleural effusions?
Both a trap bottle and underwater seal bottle
Examination findings of pneumonia
Trachea - central Expansion - reduced Fremitus - increased Percussion - dull Auscultation - bronchial
What does inc tactile vocal fremitus suggest?
Pneumonia - solid - conducts sound
Ix for suspected pneumonia
- Bloods: purple - FBC (raised WCC) and ESR & yellow - U+Es, LFTs, CRP (?sepsis)
- Imaging: CXR
- Sputum, blood cultures, MC&S -> start empirical abx
Alongside oxygen which abx are used to tx pneumonia?
CAP - Augmentin + Clarithromycin
HAP - Ciprofloxacin + Vancomycin
Adjust abx according to MC&S results ~2days after starting
Which abx does strep pneumoniae always respond to?
Penicillin
Which abx treats haemophilus influenzae?
Cefuroxime
Which drug commonly interacts w clarithromycin?
Warfarin
Which pneumonia causing pathogen is a/w recent viral infection?
Staph Aureus
Which pneumonia causing pathogen is a/w smoking and COPD?
Haemophilus influenzae & moraxella catarrhalis
Which pneumonia causing pathogen is a/w alcoholism, elderly, haemoptysis?
Klebsiella Pneumoniae
G+ Diplococci
Strep Pneumoniae
G+ Cocci
Staph Aureus
G- Rods
Haemophilus Influenzae + Klebsiella Pneumoniae
What should you do if the pt is getting worse despite abx and gram staining was unhelpful?
Ring the lab for sensitivities and change abx accordingly
Tx of Chronic Asthma
- SABA
- SABA + Low ICS
- SABA + Low ICS + LTRA
- SABA + Low ICS + LABA +/- LTRA
- SABA + Low MART +/- LTRA
- SABA + Med MART +/- LTRA
- Inc MART Dose or Add Aminophylline
Tx of Long-Term COPD
- SABA + SAMA
- If signs of asthma or good steroid response: no add LABA+LAMA OR yes add LABA+ICS
- SABA + LABA + LAMA + ICS
What are signs of a good steroid response?
Hx of atopy, high eosinophils, >20% change in FEV1 over time
What are the top ddx for a chronic cough in a non-smoker?
Asthma, Post-Nasal Drip, GORD + ask about COVID testing
What are the major criteria of ABPA? (5)
Hx of asthma, central bronchiectasis on CXR, immediate skin reactivity to aspergillus antigen, blood eosinophilia, inc serum IgE >1000IU/mL
Mx of ABPA
- Glucocorticoids
2. Itraconazole
What are the causes of bronchiectasis?
Idiopathic
Post-Infective
Immunodeficiency
Plus: CF, ABPA, foreign body, tumour, rheumatoid, IBD
Ix for Bronchiectasis
Obstrc Spirometry
Sputum Cultures
HRCT
And identify cause: Ig, Sweat Test, Aspergillus Markers
What would you see on HRCT in a pt w bronchiectasis?
Dilated thickened airways w evidence of mucus plugging
Tx of Bronchiectasis
MDT, Smoking Cessation, Pulm Rehabilitation
Plus: physio, abx, correct underlying cause
What are heart failure cells?
Iron Laden Macrophages
What are the different types of lung cancer?
NSCLC: central squamous + peripheral adenocarcinoma
SCLC: ectopic ACTH + LEMS
Which lung cancers are heavily linked to smoking?
Squamous + SCLC
Which lung cancers metastasise early?
Adenocarcinoma + SCLC
Ix for Lung Cancer
CXR
Volumetric CT
Biopsy
And identify mets: PET-CT w 18-FDG
Tx of Lung Cancer
MDT, Chemo, Radio
And if NSCLC: consider lobectomy if localised
Ix for COPD
FBC BNP A1AT PFTs ABG - evaluate severity of resp failure CXR HRCT - looking for distribution of disease if considering pts for lung volume reduction surgery Echo - mMRC GOLD
What is the modified MRC dyspnoea scale to assess the functional impairment of COPD?
- Strenuous
- Hurrying
- Walking
- 100m
- Dressing
Tx of COPD
MDT, Smoking Cessation, Pulm Rehabilitation
Plus: oxygen, bronchodilators, steroids, NIV for abnormal ABG, abx for exacerbation, monitor for lung cancer
Ix for Pleural Effusion
CXR
Aspiration (MCS, TB, protein, glucose, pH exclude empyema, LDH, cytology)
Tx for Pleural Effusion
MDT
US guided Drain
Tx underlying cause
What are the causes of ILD?
Idiopathic
Autoimmune
Hypersensitivity
Plus: sarcoidosis + drugs
Which drugs classically cause ILD?
Methotrexate
Amiodarone
Nitrofurantoin
Ix for ILD
Drug Hx Complement Autoantibodies Precipitins CXR HRCT PFTs BAL Echo
Tx of ILD
MDT, Smoking Cessation, Pulm Rehabilitation
Plus: ambulatory O2, LTOT, antifibrotics for IPF, immunosuppressives for CTD/sarcoid related, transplant workup
What would you see on HRCT in a pt w established ILD?
Honeycombing - IPF
Ground Glass - NSIP
Asthma vs COPD
Spirometry w reversibility
What are the four stages of pneumonia?
Congestion
Red Hepatization
Grey Hepatization
Resolution
What are the criteria for discharge following acute asthma?
Stable on discharge meds for >12hrs, PEF >75%, inhaler technique checked and recorded
Tx of HAP
Piperacillin-Tazobactam
What must you do before starting a pt on NIV?
CXR: any focal consolidation + a pneumothorax are CIs
What are the top three indications for NIV?
Nasals - Sleep Apnoea - prevents soft palate from closing
CPAP - Pulmonary Oedema - reduces LVEDP and afterload
BiPAP - COPD - improve both ventilation and tidal volume
How does NIV work?
It improves the ventilation perfusion mismatch by improving recruitment of collapse alveoli and thus reduces work of breathing
What is the best predictor for impending need of resp support?
RR >25/min