MTB 3 - Pulmonary Flashcards
How does asthma present?
Patient who is short of breath with expiratory wheezing. In severe cases, there is use of accessory muscles, and the patient is unable to speak in complete sentences.
What are the most important features of severe exacerbation?
- Hyperventilation/increased respiratory rate
- Decrease in peak flow
- Hypoxia
- Respiratory acidosis
- Possible absence of wheezing
What is an ominous sign for asthma?
Absence of wheezing. To wheeze, one must have airflow
What test should be done if the diagnosis of asthma is unclear?
Pulmonary function testing before and after inhaled bronchodilators.
How much of a change should you see in FEV1 in order to confirm asthma/reactive airway disease?
Increase in FEV1 of > 12% and >200 mL increase
How can methacholine stimulation testing be useful in an asymptomatic asthmatic patient?
Looks for a decrease in FEV1 in response to synthetic acetylcholine. Methacholine will decrease FEV1 if the patient has asthma.
What are the best initial therapies that should be ordered for an asthmatic exacerbation?
Inhaled bronchodilators - There is no maximum dose of inhaled bronchodilators
Bolus of steroids (methyl prednisolone) - Steroids need 4-6 hours to be effective
Inhaled ipratropium
Oxygen
Magnesium - relaxes muscles
What should any patient that presents with shortness of breath receive?
Oxygen
Continuous oximeter
Chest x-ray
ABG
Where should any patient with asthma and respiratory acidosis with CO2 retention be placed?
In the ICU. Persistent respiratory acidosis is an indication for intubation and mechanical ventilation
When is terbutaline the right answer choice for a patient with asthma?
Terbutaline is less efficacious than inhaled albuterol. Terbutaline is always the wrong answer choice
What benefit does epinephrine have for patients with asthma?
Subcutaneously administered epinephrine has no benefit in addition to inhaled bronchodilators
What is the best initial therapy for nonacute asthma?
Inhaled bronchodilators (albuterol)
If an asthmatic patient is not controlled with albuterol then what is the next medication that should be used?
Chronic controller medication such as an inhaled steroid
If inhaled albuterol and inhaled steroids do not control asthma symptoms, what should be added next?
Long-acting inhaled beta agonist, such as salmeterol or formeterol
What is the last resort medication for asthma?
Oral steroids
What is the alternate long-term controller medication besides inhaled steroids for:
1) Extrinsic allergies, such as hay fever
2) Atopic disease
3) Chronic COPD
4) High IgE levels, no control with cromolyn
1) Cromolyn or nedocromil
2) Montelukast
3) Tiotropium, iptratropium
4) Omalizumab (anti-IgE antibody)
What is the treatment for exercise-induced asthma?
Inhaled bronchodilator (albuterol) prior to exercise
What are the three mechanisms by which antimuscarinic medications affect the lungs?
Antimuscarinic activity 1) dries the secretions of goblet cells, 2) decreases bronchoconstriction, and 3) inhibits excess fluid production in bronchi
T/F Antimuscarinic medications are more effective in COPD than asthma?
True
What conditions presents ina long-term smoker with increasing shortness of breath and decreased exercise tolerance?
COPD
What is the only way to assess CO2 retention in COPD patients?
In cases of COPD, order ABG because it is critical in acute shortness of breath from COPD. No other way to assess for CO2 retention.
How do you handle acute episodes of SOB in COPD?
Oxygen and ABG Chest x-ray Albuterol Ipratropium Bolus of steroids Chest, heart, extremity, and neurological exam
If fever, sputum, and/or a new infiltrate is present on chest x-ray for a patient with COPD exacerbation, then what abx should you add and what are you treating?
Ceftriaxone and azithromycin for community-acquired pneumonia
On CCS, move the clock forward 15-30 minutes and reassess the patient. O2 administration in COPD may worsen the shortness of breath by eliminating hypoxic drive
On CCS, move the clock forward 15-30 minutes and reassess the patient. O2 administration in COPD may worsen the shortness of breath by eliminating hypoxic drive
Should you intubate patients with COPD for CO2 retention alone?
No. These patients often have chronic CO2 retention. Only intubate if there is a worsening drop in pH indicative of a worse respiratory acidosis.
When can you use CPAP or BiPAP for COPD exacerbation?
For mild respiratory acidosis. Answer CPAP or BiPAP and move the clock forward 30-60 minutes. If the CO2 retention and hypoxia are improved the patient is spared from intubation.
What are physical findings suggestive of COPD?
- Barrel-shaped chest
- Clubbing of fingers
- increased anterior-posterior diameter of the chest
- Loud P2 heart sound (sign of pulmonary HTN)
- Edema as a sign of decreased right ventricular output (blood is backing up due to pulmonary hypertension)
What findings will be seen on EKG in a COPD patient?
Right axis deviation, right ventricular hypertrophy, right atrial hypertrophy
What findings will be seen on a chest x-ray for a COPD patient?
Flattening of the diaphragm (due to hyperinflation of the lungs), elongated heart, and substernal air trapping
What findings will be seen on a CBC of a COPD patient?
Increased hematocrit is a sign of chronic hypoxia. Reactive erythrocytosis from chronic hypoxia is often microcytic. An EPO level is not necessary
What is the 50/50 club for COPDers?
In moderate to severe cases of COPD, patients may become members of the 50/50 club - the pCO2 is 50 mm Hg and the pO2 is also 50 mm Hg
What findings will be seen on chemistry of a COPD patient?
Increased serum bicarbonate is metabolic compensation for respiratory acidosis
What findings will be seen on ABG of a COPD patient?
Done to assess CO2 retention and the need for chronic home oxygen based on pO2 (you expect the pCO2 to rise and pO2 to fall).
What is the mechanism of right heart enlargement in COPD?
Hypoxia in the lungs causes capillary constriction, in which precapillary sphincters in the lungs constrict to shung blood away from hypoxic areas of the lung. Since the hypoxia of COPD is global throughout the lung, this diffuse vasoconstriction increases pressure in the right ventricle and right atrium. Over time, the result is hypertrophy of both chambers, leading to cor pulmonale, or right heart failure.
What findings will be seen on PFT for a COPD patient?
- Decrease in FEV1
- Decrease in FVC from loss of elastic recoil of the lung
- Decrease in FEV1/FVC ration
- Increase in total lung capacity from air trapping
- Increase in residual volume
- Decrease in diffusion capacity lung carbon monoxide (DLCO) caused by destruction of lung interstitium
What is the chronic medical therapy of COPD?
- Tiotropium or ipratropium inhaler
- Albuterol inhaler
- Pneumococcal vaccine: Heptavalent vaccine, Pneumovax
- Smoking cessation
- Long-term home O2 if the pO2
What lowers mortality in COPD?
Smoking cessation
Home O2 therapy (continuous)
What is the mechanism of bicarbonate increase in COPD?
Chronic respiratory acidosis increases new bicarbonate generation at the distal tubule of the kidney
Genetic disorder that presents with combination of cirrhosis and COPD?
COPD at an early age (
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
What do you see on chest x-ray and on blood tests in patients with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency?
Chest x-ray: Findings of COPD (bullae, barrel chest, flat diaphragm)
Blood tests: Low albumin level and elevated PT time (caused by cirrhosis)
How do you definitively diagnose alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency?
Alpha-1 antitrypsin level is low
Genetic testing
Caused by an anatomic defect of the lungs, usually from an infection in childhood. Results in profund dilation of bronchi. Presents as chronic resolving and recurring episodes of lung infection that give a very high volume of sputum. Hemoptysis and fever occur as well.
Bronchiectasis
What is the most accurate diagnostic testn for bronchiectasis?
High-resolution CT scan of the chest
What does chest x-ray show in bronchiectasis?
Dilated bronchi with tram tracking, which are parallel line consistent with dilated bronchi.
What is the curative therapy for bronchiectasis?
There is none. Treat infectious episodes as they occur.
What is the treatment for bronchiectasis?
Chest physiotherapy with cupping and clapping will help dislodge secretions
Rotating antibiotics are tried to avoid the development of resistance.
What are some drugs that can cause interstitial lung disease?
Nitrofurantoin and bactrim
What are potential causes of interstitial lung disease?
Secondary to occupational or environmental exposure or medications.
If no cause is found, the diagnosis is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Causes/diseases of ILD
1) Asbestos
2) Glass workers, mining, sandblasting, brickyards
3) Coal worker
4) Cotton
5) Electronics, ceramics, fluorescent light bulbs
6) Mercury
1) Asbestosis
2) Silicosis
3) Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis
4) Byssinosis
5) Berylliosis
6) Pulmonary fibrosis
Shortness of breath with a dry, nonproductive cough, and chronic hypoxia. Punctuated by episodes of bronchitis and pneumonia
ILD
What are the physical findings for ILD?
- Dry, velcro rales
- Loud P2 heart sound
- Clubbing
What EKG findings will you see on ILD?
EKG will show pulmonary hypertension with right atrial and right ventricular hypertrophy
How does pulmonary hypoxia cause pulmonary hypertension?
Pulmonary hypoxia causes vasoconstriction of the lungs. Chronic vasoconstriction causes increased pressure in the pulmonary artery. Pulmonary hypertension kills patients.
What diagnostic testing should be done for ILD?
Chest x-ray - interstitial fibrosis
High-resolution CT scan - shows more detail on interstitial fibrosis
Lung biopsy
Pulmonary function testing (PFT) - shows decreased FEV1 and decreased FVC with a normal ratio, decreased total lung capacity, and decreased DLCO. All measures are decreased, but they are decreased proportionately.
What is the most common type of cancer in asbestosis?
Lung cancer, not mesothelioma
What treatment is there for ILD?
There is no specific therapy to reverse any of the forms of ILD.
If the biopsy shows an inflammatory infiltrate, a trial of steroids is used.
What is the only form of ILD that definitely responds to steroids?
Berylliosis because it is a granulomatous disease
What systemic findings are found in ILD?
None. Fever, malaise, and myalgias that may be found in BOOP/COP are absent in ILD.