Medicine - Respiratory Flashcards
Lung Cancer Types: Symptoms: Paraneoplastic Syndromes (6): Risk factors: Investigations: Management: Met locations:
Types:
- Non-small cell, eg. squamous cell, adenocarcinoma
- Small cell - very aggressive, surgical options not available, paraneoplastic syndromes
Symptoms: SOB, Cough, Haemoptysis, Weight loss, Supraclavicular lymphadenopathy
Paraneoplastic Syndromes: Phrenic nerve impingement (SOB), Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve palsy (Hoarse Voice), SVC obstruction (Facial swelling/distended veins), Horner’s syndrome in a Pancoast tumour, SIADH, Cushing’s syndrome, Hypercalcaemia (PTHrP OR lytic bone lesions), Lambert-Eason myaesthenic syndrome
Risk factors: Smoking, Increasing Age, FH, Asbestos
Investigations: CXR, Staging CT, US-Guided FNA for biopsy, Endobronchial ultrasound, PET-CT for mets
Management: Non-small cell = Lobectomy
Radiotherapy is first line after this - can be radical or palliative
Combination chemo-radiotherapy can work in small cell, but rarely
Palliative = Airway stents, Radiotherapy, Anxiolytics
Met locations: Cervical lymph nodes, Liver, Bones, Adrenal Glands
COPD Pathophysiology: Chronic changes: Causes: Symptoms: Signs: Risk factors: Investigations: Management: Complications:
Pathophysiology: Airflow obstruction that is progressive and not fully reversible. Encompasses emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Chronic changes: Mucous gland hyperplasia and loss of cilia function, emphysematous change, fibrosis and remodelling of the airways
Causes: Smoking, A-1 antitrypsin, occupational exposure
Symptoms: Cough with sputum production
Signs: CO2 retention tremor, pursed lip breathing, hyperresonance, barrel chest, expiratory wheeze, ankle oedema due to pulmonary hypertension
Investigations: Spirometry (FEV1/FVC ratio <70%), ABG for respiratory failure, CXR for hyperinflation, a-antitrypsin
Management:
Outpatient: Smoking cessation, Pulmonary rehabilitation (6-12 week programme), Bronchodilators, Steroids, Mucolytics, Influenza vaccine/Pneumococcal, LTOT
Complications: Acute exacerbation of COPD
How do you calculate pack years? (eg. 30 a day for 35 years)
20/day for 1 year = 1 pack year
1.5*35
What are the stages of the MRC Dyspnoea scale?
- Breathless only with strenuous exercise
- Breathless when hurrying on a level ground or walking up a hill
- Walks slower than normal people or needs to stop for breath at own pace on level ground
- Stops for breath after 100m
- Too breathless to go outside or get dressed
Acute Exacerbation of COPD
Presentation:
Management:
Presentation: Severe SOB, Fever, Chest Pain, Raised WCC
Management:
- Aim for 88-92% O2, controlled oxygen
- Nebulised salbutamol and ipratropium
- Oral prednisolone (then OD for 7 days)
- Antibiotics
- ABG
- NIV if Type 2 Respiratory Failure
Asthma: Chronic Pathophysiology: Presentation: Common triggers: Investigations: Management:
Pathophysiology: - Hypersensitivity reaction leading to eosinophil release, mast cell degranulation, histamine and leukotriene release, leading to smooth muscle contraction
- Leads to: Goblet cell hyperplasia -> more mucous production/mucous plug, smooth muscle hyperplasia and hypertrophy, mucosal swelling, airway remodelling in long-term asthma
- Expiratory outflow obstruction
Reversible
Presentation: Dry cough, wheeze, breathlessness, chest tightness
Common triggers: Smoking, Allergens, dust mites, cold, exercise, aerosols
Investigations: Peak flow <70% (Obstructive)
Management:
Step 1: SABA (Salbutamol)
Step 2: SABA + ICS (Beclomethosone)
Step 3: SABA + ICS + Leukotriene receptor antagonist (Montelukast)
Step 4: SABA + LTRA + LABA/ICS combined (Salmeterol)
Acute Asthma
BTS Asthma Severity Guidelines:
Treatment of acute asthma attack:
Asthma severity:
- Mild - >75% PEFR
- Moderate - 50-75% PEFR
- Severe - 33-50% PEFR, Cannot complete sentences in one breath, RR>25, HR >110
- Life threatening - <33%, <92% sats, Cyanosis/Poor respiratory effort, exhaustion, confusion, hypotension, normal pCO2
- Near Fatal - Raised pCO2/Need a ventilator
Asthma treatment:
- Oxygen, aiming for 94-98% titrated via ABG
- Salbutamol nebuliser
- Oral Prednisolone/IV Hydrocortisone
- Ipratropium Bromide nebulisers
- ITU
- Magnesium Sulphate
Pneumothorax Pathophysiology: Causes: Symptoms: Signs: Risk factors: Investigations: Management:
Pathophysiology: Communication between pleural space and the atmosphere, air flows from the atmosphere, into the pleural cavity - loss of elastic recoil of the lung (due to loss of pleural seal)
Causes: Primary: Commonly in young, tall men who smoke - bulla bursts
Secondary: COPD, Asthma, Bronchiectasis, Lung cancer, Trauma, Pneumonia
Symptoms: SOB, Chest Pain, Cough (dry)
Signs: Tracheal deviation (tension-only), dyspnoea, hyper-resonant, tachycardia, reduced lung expansion, absent breath sound
Risk factors: Male, Smoking, Lung disease, Being tall, Marfan’s disease, Mechanical Ventilation
Investigations: X-ray
Management: Oxygen, Aspirate, Chest Drain in 5th intercostal space, mid-axillary line
Tension Pneumothorax
Pathophysiology:
Symptoms:
Management:
Pathophysiology: When air can enter the pleural cavity, but cannot escape because of a flap, causing pressure to increase
Symptoms: SOB, hypotension, tachycardia, silent breath sounds, tracheal deviation, pleuritic chest pain
Management: Venflon into the second intercostal space, mid-clavicular line and chest drain
Interstitial Lung Disease Name 5 types of ILD: Pathophysiology: Symptoms: What drugs cause ILD (2):
Types: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, sarcoidosis, asbestosis, non-specific pneumonitis
Pathophysiology: Restrictive pattern on spirometry, reduced compliance but increased elastic recoil, leading to reduced lung volume
Symptoms: Exertional SOB, dry cough, clubbing, weight loss, dry inspiratory wheeze, fine crackles
ILD drugs: Methotrexate, Amiodarone, Ciprofloxacin, Nitrofurantoin
Sarcoidosis Pathophysiology: Symptoms: Investigations: Management:
Pathophysiology: Multisystem inflammatory condition with non-caseating granulomas, causes lung fibrosis when granulomas heal
Symptoms: Erythema nodosum, SOB, cough, clubbing, fine crackles
Investigations: Peak flow, CXR (BILATERAL HILAR LYMPHADENOPATHY), Renal Function, Calcium (hypercalcaemia occurs), ECG
Management: 80% go into remission spontaneously, only treat if signs of skin disease, uveitis, persistent hypercalcaemia - then give corticosteroids
Name 3 causes of Bilateral Hilar Lymphadenopathy on an X-ray
- Sarcoidosis
- Tuberculosis
- Lymphoma
Pulmonary Embolism Causes: Symptoms: Signs: Risk factors: Investigations: Wells Score: Management: Complications:
Symptoms: Tachycardia, SOB, DVT. low BP, Sats drop, Haemoptysis
Signs: Raised JVP, hypotension, DVT
Risk factors: Surgery, Immobilisation, Pregnancy, Malignancy, Varicose Veins, Obesity, COCP
Investigations: CTPA, CXR, ABG, ECG, D-dimer, Wells Score
Management: Oxygen, Fluid resuscitation, enoxaparin, thrombolysis if massive PE, continued DOAC for 3 months if identified cause, or lifelong if not
Wells Score - define:
Wells Score: Can Not Treat If Surgical PE, Help ME Clinical suspicion of PE - 3 No other likely differential - 3 Tachycardia - 1.5 Immobilisation or Surgery - 1.5 PE/DVT in the past - 1.5 Haemoptysis - 1 Malignancy - 1
> 4 PE likely
Name the 5 signs of PE on an ECG:
- Sinus tachy
- S1Q3T3
- RBBB
- RV Strain
- Right Axis Deviation