medicines in respiratory disease

Question 1

which drugs can be given to improve airway patency?

Answer 1

bronchodilators = b2 agonists e.g. salbutamol

anti-inflammatory inhalers providing corticosteroids e.g. beclamethasone

Question 2

what drugs may impair ventilation? or act as respiratory depressants?

Answer 2

• beta-blockers
• benzodiazepans
• opiods

Question 3

which drugs may be given to improve gas exchange?

Answer 3

oxygen! can be given to increase o2 amount and thus diffusion gradient

must be prescribed

Question 4

which two forms of inhaled drug delivery can be used?

implications of each?

Answer 4

meter dose inhaler
- shoots a jet of the drug into the pharynx to be taken away
- can cause local immunosuppression from corticosteroids
- can cause candidiasis

spinhaler / turbohaler
- own breath picks up the dose of the drug
- better administration

Question 5

what are the two types of beta-agonists? what are the colours of the inhalers? benefits of each?

Answer 5

short-acting (blue)
- salbutamol
- terbutaline
- treats bronchial constriction

long-acting (green)
- salmeterol
- good for asthma attack prevention
- given with an inhaled steroid

Question 6

how do anticholinergics work? what are they often given with? what are they used for? what colour inhaler?

Answer 6

• inhibit muscarinic nerve transmission in autonomic nerves
• this gives additive effect in bronchodilation with beta-agonists
• effective at reducing mucous secretion
• grey inhaler (ipratropium)

always end in ium

Question 7

what is given to reduce inflammation in bronchial walls? what is often the colours of the inhalers?

Answer 7

corticosteroids

• reduce inflammation

beclomethasone - brown

mometasone - pink

fluticasone - orange

Question 8

inhalers can be used to prevent mast cell degranulation. which medicine would it be? why are these given?

Answer 8

cromoglycate inhaler

given to reduce inflammation of the airway.