Module 2.02 Flashcards
what is the physiology of breathlessness?
breathlessness is when the instructions sent by the respiratory centre in the medulla do not match the sensory feedback from the thorax. (severity of breathlessness is highly subjective)
define acute dyspnoea?
- a new onset or abruptly worsening breathlessness
(can be life threatening when accompanied by severe hypoxaemia, hypercapnia, exhaustion or low GCS)
what are the causes of acute dyspnoea which involve an upper airway obstruction?
- inhaled foreign body
- anaphylaxis
- epiglottis
- extrinsic compression (e.g. rapidly expanding haematoma)
what are the lower airway diseases which cause acute dyspnoea?
- acute bronchitis
- asthma
- acute exacerbation of COPD
- acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis
- anaphylaxis
what are examples of parenchymal lung disease which lead to acute dyspnoea?
- pneumonia
- lobar collapse
- acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
what are ‘other’ respiratory causes of acute dyspnoea?
- pneumothorax
- pleural effusion
- pulmonary embolism
- acute chest wall injury
what are the cardiovascular causes of acute dyspnoea?
- acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema
- acute coronary syndrome
- cardiac tamponade
- arrhythmia
- acute valvular heart disease
define chronic dyspnoea
- breathlessness which persists for 2 weeks or longer
what are examples of respiratory causes of chronic dyspnoea?
- asthma
- COPD
- pleural effusion
-lung cancer - ILD (interstitial lung disease)
- chronic pulmonary embolism
- bronchiectasis
- cystic fibrosis
- pulmonary hypertension
- pulmonary vasculitis
- TB
- laryngeal/tracheal stenosis (e.g. extrinsic compression, malignancy)
what are examples of cardiovascular causes of chronic dyspnoea?
- chronic heart failure
- coronary heart disease
- valvular heart disease
- paroxysmal arrythmia
- constrictive pericarditis
- pericardial effusion
- cyanotic congenital heart disease
what are other (non cardiac or respiratory) causes of chronic dyspnoea?
- severe anemia
- obesity
-chest wall disease - physical deconditioning
- diaphragmatic paralysis
- psychogenic hyperventillation
- neuromuscular disorder
- cirrhosis
- tense ascites
what causes for dyspnoea need immediate correction if identified?
- airway obsruction
- tension pneumothorax
- anaphylaxis
- arrythmia with cardiac compromise
how is RDOS (respiratory distress observation scale) used to measure a patients dyspnoea?
- heart rate per min
- respiratory rate per min
- restlessness
- use of accsessory muscles to breath
- pattern of breathing
- nostril flare when breathing
- grunting on expiration
- look of fear
whats drugs can be used to relive dyspnoea?
opiods e.g. morphine
when is ABG analysis required in a patient with dyspnoea?
- if they need ventillatory or airway support
- signs of hypercapnia : drowsiness, confusion
- SpO2 <92%, central cyanosis or high O2 requirments
- severe, prolonged or worsening respiratory distress
- background of COPD
- chronic type 2 respiratory failure
- suspected metabolic acidosis or primary hyperventilation.
What is partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2)?
- it measures the amount of oxygen in the arterial blood
- perfect reading would be 104
- a reading between 60-79 is considered mild hypoxaemia
- 60 is the baseline value we want to maintain, if levels drop below 60, supplemental oxygen is required
- PaO2 is only able to be measured through an ABG
What is oxygen saturation (SpO2)?
- it is the percentage of oxygen you inhale that makes it to your arterial blood supply
- anything above 95% is considered normal
- is measured with a pulse oximeter
how do you assess for adequacy of oxygen?
Use the SpO 2 ± PaO 2
what does PaCO2 tell us about ventillation?
-PaCO2 is directly determined by alveolar ventilation – the volume of air transported between the alveoli and the outside world in any given time.
- therefore a high PaCO2 (hypercapnia) indicates ventillatory failure (type 2 respiratory failure)
what does ABG results tells us about oxygenation?
- low PaO2 means an impairment of oxygenation, if this is accompanied by a normal PaCO2 this indicated a ventillation and perfusion mismatch- type 1 respiratory failure
- however if PaCO2 is also low it indicates a ventillation issue- type 2 respiratory failure
If a patient is on supplemental oxygen how does it affect ABG analysis?
- it makes the analysis of PaO2 more difficult as it is hard to know wether it is appropiate for the FiO2 (amount of oxygen being inspired)
- A useful rule of thumb is that the difference between FiO 2 (%) and PaO 2 (in kPa) should be ≤10.
- If slight impairment is suspected repeat ABG with room air
what is FiO2?
fraction of inspired oxygen
The fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) is the concentration of oxygen in the gas mixture. The gas mixture at room air has a fraction of inspired oxygen of 21%, meaning that the concentration of oxygen at room air is 21%
what does an ABG tell us about acid- base status?
- if blood pH is lowered it is an acidosis, if blood pH increases it is an alkalosis
- a high PaCO2 indicates acidosis and a low PaCO2 indicates alkalosis
- there is both respiratory and metabollic pathways to control blood pH if one is failing the other takes over to try return to normal (metabollic pathway is much slower)
what tests can be done when a patient presents with breathlessness to differentiate between potential diagnosis?
- chest xray
- measure Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR)
-ECG - Evaluate for PE
what issues in the airways of the lungs could cause haemoptysis?
- acute bronchitis
- bronchiectasis
- cancer: primary lung or metastatic to lung
- inspiration of a foreign body
what issues involving pulmonary vasculature will cause haemoptysis?
- pulmonary embolism
- pulmonary AVM
What are important questions to ask when taking a history from a patient presenting w haemoptysis?
- duration and volume of blood (although can be hard to measure)
- presence of dyspnoea, fever, night sweats or weight loss
- chronic lung disease
- immunosuppression
- smoking history
- travel history
What investigations are carried out on a patient presenting with haemoptysis?
- examination: cardiac and respiratory
- Blood tests: FBC, aPTT (checks clotting), INR
- chest Xray, chest CT
how do you differentiate between haemoptysis and haematemesis?
- can suspect blood has been coughed up when : no GI symptoms, pink/red appearence, known lung disease, consistency is liquid/ clotted
- can suspect blood have been vomited when: known GI symptoms, feelings of nausea, blood is dark red, brown or black and has consistency of coffee grounds
after a chest Xray and infection is presented, what elements of the patient history may help us make differential diagnosis?
- if illness had an acute onset, fever and only mild haemoptysis, focal opacities on CXR. -> suspect bacterial pneumonia
- if illness is more on the chronic side, weightloss, immunosupression or relevant travel history, cavitary/nodular lesions on CXR -> suspect myobacterial or fungal pneumonia, or TB
if a patient presents with haemoptysis but then has a normal chest Xray what should be considered?
check if history is suggestive of acute bronchitis:
-single, self limited episode of haemoptysis
- no systemic symptoms
- non smoker
–> chest CT can still be done as malignancies may not show up
what are the most common causes of haemoptysis?
- acute bronchitis
- bronchiectasis
- lung cancer
what are the serious pathologies we want to exclude when a patient has haemoptysis?
- lung cancer
- TB
- pulmonary embolism (PE)
what signs and symptoms may make you suspect lung tumor in a patient presenting with haemoptysis?
- acute onset of cough, weightloss, finger clubbing and swollen lymph nodes
- chest Xray mat show some abnormalities, however may appear normal
what abnormalities may be seen on a chest Xray of a patient with suspected lung tumour?
- a discrete mass or cavitating lesions
- collapse of a lobe or tumour obstruction
- unilateral hilar enlargment or pleural effusion
- consolidation that fails to resolve
- chest xrays may sometimes appear normal despite there being a lung tumour (normal CXR does not rule out a tumour)
what are the signs and symptoms for pulmonary embolism?
- frank haemoptysis due to pulmonary infarction
- sudden onset dyspnoea and pleurtic chest pain
- in a minority of cases signs of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is present
- chest Xray may show a wedge shaped peripheral opacity or pleural effusion, but is most often normal