Module 3: Shortness of Breath Flashcards
SOB is a common symptom of?
lung disease, myocardial ischemia or dysfunction, systemic illness (anemia, shock, sepsis, fever), obesity, deconditioning
is SOB objective or subjective?
subjective experience of breathing discomfort
what are respiratory system dyspnea
- central controller 2. ventilatory pump 3. gas exchanger
what are CV system dyspnea?
- acute ischemia 2. systolic dysfunction 3. valvular disorders 4. pericardial diseases
what is critical asthma syndrome?
umbrella term: life threatening, status asthmaticus, near-fatal asthma
what are the symptoms of critical asthma syndrome?
- inability to speak 2. reduced peak expiratory flow rate of <25% of a patient’s personal best 3. failed response to frequent bronchodilators and IV steroids 4. require emergency care 5. prone to complications 6. utilize significant resources
what is the hallmark physical examination in acute respiratory failure
- inability to speak 2. upright posture 3. use of accessory muscles of respiratory and paradoxically 4. minimal wheezing –>indicates impending loss of air movement
what is the progress to respiratory failure?
emergent airway management. lethargy, loss of wheezing, cyanosis, reduced or paradoxical respiratory efforts less obvious: early signs of respiratory exhaustion such as progressively shallow respirations, weakness, progression loss of alertness
what does a declining course look like?
- first line is bronchodialtors, failing bronchodilators > 20 minutes, increased care, worsening respirator acidosis, signs of increasing fatigue.
- acute respiratory alkalosis occurs early
- acute respiroatyr acidosis is LATE
- NIPPV - can be used selectively - reduce barotrauma, improve comfort reduce nosocomial infections
- needs to be placed early and closley monitor - if not improving need to intubate (this is not a rescue treatment)
- contraindications: vomiting, obtunded, combative, AMS
what are absolute indications for endotracheal intubation
- cardio pulmonary arrest or apnea
- imminent respiratory failure (paradoxical breathing, lethargy, hypopnea)
- acute respiratory failure with PaO2 < 60 and/or PaCO2>50
- acute on chronic respiratory failure
relative indications for ET intubation
- hypercarbia PaCO2>50 or increase > 5 mmHg/hour
- worsening respiratory acidosis
- inability to care for patient appropriately
- signs of fatigue (shallow respirations)
- failure to respond to bronchodilator therapy
how do you intubate an awake but failing patient
- awake & upright fiberoptic broncchoscopic
- induction without neuromuscular blockade
- RSI
- don’t use nasotracheal intubation d/t potential nasal polyposis
what do you do for intubation for imminent respiratory failure
- RSI
- largest ETT possible, NO over bagging
*
what are the induction agents recommended for ET intubation for imminent respiratory failure
- hypotensive/normotensive - ketamine (caution CV disease)
- hypertensive - propofol (give with volume)
- hemodynamic uncerntainty - etomidate
what are the recommendations for neuromuscular blocking agents
- succinylcoline - contraindicated in malignant hyperthermia, hyperkalemia, elevated intra-occular pressure and burns
- rocuronium or vecuronium - may have prolonged effect
what are some complications with intubation
- hypotension
- dynamic hyperinflation and increased intra-thoracic pressures may impair R-sided cardiac venous return
- arrhythmias from high dose beta-2-agonists and eletrolyte abnormalities
- barotrauma
- laryngospasm
- worsening bronchospasm
- seizures
- aspiration
- intravascular volume depletion d/t work of breathing with accompanying tachypnea and diaphoresis result in significant insensible volume loss
- post intubation PTX or pneumomediastinum - uncommon but an be fatal
physical exam cluse of pneumothorax
- tracheal deviation away from affected side
- anterior chest or neck crepitus
- unilateral loss of lung sounds
- tachycardia
- hypotension
- central cyanosis
- low pulsus paradoxus -> presence of severe hyperinflation causing extracardiac tamponade
- CT is gold standard for diagnosing PTX-> bedside ultrasound is emerging
- if US is not immediately available, and patient is deteriorating->empiric chest tube for decompression (tension PTX) before obtaining CXR
what are labs/tests you need to do?
- ABG essential - trend this
- describes their ability to ventilate and oxygenate
- eval for concomitant acid-base disturbances: metabolic acidosis, metabolic alkalosis (resulting from volume depletion) or respiratory alkalosis (pulmonary embolus)
- normal ABG with increasing WOB is ominous sign
- may have hypercarbia d/t airflow obstruction, hypoxemia from V/Q defects
- ECG (ischemia, arrhythmias - especially in older adults)
- CBC - infection
- chemitries
what other additional tests do you want?
- chest imaging
- CXR (most common)
- PEFR and bedside spirometry
- flow volume loops - this helps figure out the reason for the exacerbation/diagnosis
what is the treatment?
- goal is to maintain adequate perfusion and cardiac output
- rapid IVF
- mechanical ventilation
- will have some degree of hypoxemia d/t hypercapnia and V/Q mismtch
- PaO2 <55 is uncommon and should prompt search for additional processes (ex: intrapulmonary shunt from PNA or atelectasis)
- supplemental O2 (generally hypercarbic, not hypoxic)
- other causes of hypoxemia include PTX or pulmonary aspiration
treatment medications
- bronchodilators
- systemic corticosteroids
- leukotriene receptor agonists (montelukast)
- IV magnesium
- smooth muscle relaxer (bronchodilator)
- if refractory: SQ terbutaline & epi
- sedation & put on vent. if needed
what order should you think about fixing things for mechanical ventlation
- treat dynamic hyperinflation 1st & gas exchange abnormalities 2nd
does mechanical ventilation alone help the patient?
- no.
- have to watch for elevated airway resistance and mucous plugging that leads to airflow obtstruct & dynamic hyperinflation as gas is not able to escape
- inspiratory capacity and inspiratory reserve volumes fall as functional residual capacity inreases
- as IC approaches TLC inspiratory efforts are impeded by over stretched inspiratory muscles & diaphraghm flattens
- develops respiratory fatigue–>respiratory failure
- increased intra-thoracic pressure in dynamic hyperinflation leads to impaired venous return to the R heart and hemodynamic compromise
- high intra thoracic pressures may worsen dead space by reducing blood flow to alveolar units thereby worsening ventilation –> respiraotry acidosis
what happens if you increase intra-thoracic pressure?
- worsen PaCO2 d/t intrinsic PEEP –> not enough time to exhale before another vent breath is delivered
- increasing TV in order to increase the Ve (respiratory rate x tidal volume) will lead to unacceptably high airway pressures resulting in barotrauma
- strategy should be Low Ve, slow RR (8-10 bpm allowing time for full exhalation)
- extrinsic PEEP should match intrinsic PEEP and should be measured every 6-8 hours
vent settings later on?
- once Ve is accetably low and intrinsic PEEP is minimized, then improve CO2 gas exchange
how to treat refractory cases?
Heliox (helium-oxygen): decreased turbulent airflow in the large airways, has minimal toxicity
Anethetics: IV ketamine or propofol; inhaled halothane, enflurane, isoflurane, diethyl ether
Veno-veno ECHMO - helps to oxygenate the blood, the patient must have a good heart to pump, they just need help moving the air
upper airway/extra thoracic causes of wheezing
- anaphylaxis
- vocal cord dysfunction - diagnostic evaluation is laryngoscopy
- other vocal cord issues - edema
- laryngeal stenosis
- laryngocele
- tonsillar hypertrophy
- epiglottic swelling
- goiter
central airway causes of wheezing
- tracheal stenosis
- tracheo-bronchial tumors
- tracheo-bronchiomalacia
- relapsing polychrondritis
- tracheobronchial amyloid
- mucous plugging
- vascular rings
- medistinal masses
lower airway causes of wheezing
- bronchiectasis/COPD
- bronchiolotis
- bronchiolitis obliterans
- cardiac
- carcinoid
- parasitic infections
- vasculitis
- anatomic airway distortion
- focal wheezing
- myocardial ischemia
- aspirated foreign body
what are some triggers for SOB?
- pulmonary infections - viral/bacterial
- sepsis
- pulmonary aspiration
- GERD
- inhaled foreign body
- ischemic cardiac disease
- anaphylactoid or anaphylactic reactions to drugs/food
- once intubated-mucous plugs
what is pleural effusion
excess of fluid in pleural cavity
transudative pleural effusion
- cardiac (HF) most common
- renal
- hepatic
exudative (inflammatory) causes of pleural effusion
- malignancy
- infection
what is most likely cause of exudative effusion?
PNA - most will not require interventions
Malignancy is the most important and will need follow-up
*an undiagnosed unilateral pleural effusion w/o a history suggestive of acute infection should be considered malignant until proven otherwise
how should transudative effusions be treated?
bilateral effusions are usually d/t cardiac/renal/hepatic impairment –>treatment of cause will usually improve effusions w/o need for intervention
how do you diagnose cardiac effusions
- shortness of breath and one or more of the following
- previous h/o HF
- paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
- orthopnea
- S3 gallop
- jugular venous distention
- positive abdomino-jugular test
- displaced apical impulse
- radiological cardiomegaly, cephalization of the vessels and interstitial or alveolar edema
duration of development of pleural effusion
- rapidly: over hours to days
- injury to chest wall
- recent chest infection
- slow over weeks to months
- empyema
- malignancy
- TB pleuritis
clinical findings of PE
- asymptomatic
- SOB vs DOE
- fever
- pleuritic chest pain
- “stony” dullness to percussion
- reduced chest expansion on affected side of the hemithorax
- reduced BS over thee effusion
- bronchial breathing-area superior to the fluid
improtant history points
- focus on severity & rate of onset
- dyspnea
- cough (non-productive)
- pleuritic chest pain
- constitutional symptoms
- fever
- sweats
- weight loss
- recent injury or interventions to chet
- recent illness, especialy r/t chest
- recent hospitalizations or operations such as cardiac surgery
- current or h/o malignancy
- previous exposure to TB
- full occupational history (including asbestosis)
- smoking/tobacco history
- drugs, including recent changes to Rx and use of any anti-coagulation)
- assessment/evidence of uncontrolled cardiac, hepatic, renal failure
how do you diagnose pulmonary effusion
- CXR 1st
- ct scan is standard of care and tells you size and location and if it’s loculated
- CBC tells you infection? blood loss? platelet abnormality? liver/renal function? also look for hypoalbuminemia as this can cause effusion
- TTE/BNP for those with bilateral effusion to evaluate for heart failure
- can exclude HF if BNP is lower than 100 pg/mL
do you need to do throacentesis in acute decompensated HF?
no, unnecessary unless:
- chest pain
- fever
- unilateral pleural effusion (especially left sided)
- absence of cardiomegaly on CXR
- no response to diuretics
- when aspirated pleural fluid is usually yellowish or seirous, can also be watery
pleural fluid analysis in acute decompensated HF
- serum to pleural fluid albumin gradient (serum albumin - pleural fluid albumin) >1.2 g/dL
- LDH < 2/3 of upper normal limit for serum
- pleural fluid to serum LDH ratio < 0.6
- cholesterol < 45 mg/dL
- pleural fluid to serum protein ratio < 0.5
- serum to pleural fluid protein gradient > 3.1 g/dL
- protein levels lower than 3 g/dL
*
when do you see effusion w/ acute decompensated HF
45% of patients on CXR
% icreased when more sensitive techniques (u/s ct)
CXR:
BL 60%
right 30%
left 10%
loculated means?
defined borderes
light’s criteria for lab diagnosis of exudative effusion
- > 3gm protein
- PL/Sr protein > 0.5
- LDH > 200 IU
- glucose > 1
- WBC > 25,000
- Sp Gr > 1.016
- pH low, < 7.2 = empyema
light’s criteria for lab diagnosis of transudative effusion
- < 3 gm protein
- PL/Sr pro < 0.5
- LDH < 200 IU
- glucose < 1
- WBC very low
- Sp Gr < 1.016
- pH high > 7.3