Obstructive Diseases Flashcards
Where do obstructive diseases affect?
The airways
What are examples of obstructive diseases?
Asthma, COPD- chronic bronchitis/emphysema
What is ACOS?
Asthma/COPD overlap syndrome (smokers with features of both)
ACOS is essentially COPD with what?
Reversibility and some eosinophilic inflammation which is steroid responsive
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of where?
Small and large airways
What is the basic underlying disease process in asthma?
Airway inflammation
How many levels of branching does the bronchial tree consist of?
23
What is the conducting zone of the bronchial tree?
The first 16-17 branches which play no role in gas exchange
What is the respiratory zone of the bronchial tree?
The last 6-7 branches which is where gas exchange takes place
What zone of the respiratory tree involves the bronchi?
Conducting zone
Which zone of the respiratory tree involves the respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts and sacs?
Respiratory zone
What is the size roughly of the small and large airways?
Small- <2mm, large- >2mm
Where will inhaled particles <5 microns get past?
Carina
Where will inhaled particles <2 microns get past?
8th branch of bronchioles
What three things must a patient have to have asthma?
- Eosinophilic airway inflammation
- Airway hyper-responsiveness
- Reversible airway obstruction
What does bronchoconstriction in asthma cause?
Brief symptoms
What does chronic airway inflammation in asthma cause?
Exacerbations of asthma
What does airway remodelling in asthma cause?
Irreversible fixed airway obstruction
What are triggers treated with in asthma?
Allergen avoidance
What is eosinophilic inflammation treated with in asthma?
Anti-inflammatory corticosteroids and maybe cromones
What are mediators of asthma and when are they released?
Released upon antigen binding to IgE- histamine, leukotrienes, cytokines
What medication can be given to block mediators in asthma?
Anti-histamines/leukotrienes, anti-IgE, anti-IL5
What drugs are used to treat hyper-reactive muscle in asthma?
Drugs which stimulate the sympathetic nervous system to relax the airways- bronchodilators, beta2 agonists, muscarinic antagonists
What are the only drugs which restore normal mucosal architecture?
Corticosteroids
What are the most important drugs to consider as possible causes of asthma?
NSAIDs and beta-blockers
How is asthma diagnosed?
History and exam, diurnal variation of peak flow rate, reduced FVC/FEV1 ratio, reversibility to inhaled salbutamol, provocation testing leads to bronchoconstriction
What can COPD lead to?
Chronic bronchitis or emphysema
What 5 things can chronic bronchitis cause?
- Mucus hypersecretion
- Chronic neutrophilic inflammation
- Mucociliary dysfunction
- Altered lung microbiome
- Smooth muscle spasm and hypertrophy
Which out of emphysema and chronic bronchitis is partially reversible and which is irreversible?
Emphysema- irreversible
Chronic bronchitis- partially reversible
What are characteristics of COPD?
Exacerbations and reduced lung function
What are symptoms of COPD?
Breathlessness, cough with sputum production, worsening QOL
What does cigarette smoke cause macrophages and airway epithelial cells to secrete?
Neutrophil chemotactic factors- IL8 and LTB4
What does neutrophils and macrophages releasing proteases do in COPD?
Breaks down connective tissue in the lungs and stimulates mucus hypersecretion
What might also be involved in the destruction of alveolar wall epithelial cells in COPD?
CD8+ T cells
What does an imbalance of proteases and antiproteases lead to in COPD?
Inflammatory changes in the airways including damage of the respiratory mucosa
What is neutrophil elastase?
An enzyme which can damage the cilia
What causes the loss of ciliated cells in COPD?
Recurrent bacterial infections
How do you assess COPD?
Assess symptoms, degree of airflow limitation using spirometry, risk of exacerbations, comorbidities
What are high risk factors for COPD?
2 or more exacerbations in one year, <50% FEV1
What lung sound will chronic bronchitis show?
Wheezing
What lung sound will emphysema show?
Reduced breath sounds
What is the chronic cascade in COPD?
Progressive fixed airway obstruction, impaired alveolar gas exchange, type 2 respiratory failure, pulmonary hypertension, cor pulmonale, death
What classifies ACOS?
COPD with blood eosinophilia >3%
Will mucosal architecture ever be restored in ACOS?
No
Is there reversibility to salbutamol in ACOS?
Yes
is there diurnal variability in COPD?
No
What do intermittent attacks of bronchoconstriction in asthma result in?
Tight chest, wheezing, difficulty breathing, cough
Chronic asthma causes changes to the bronchioles as a result of long standing inflammation. What are some examples of these changes?
- Increase smooth muscle mass
- Accumulation of fluid (oedema)
- Increased mucus
- Epithelial damage
- Sub-endothelial fibrosis
Airway narrowing and bronchoconstriction in asthma do what to PEFR and FEV1?
Decrease them
What are two bronchial components of asthma?
Bronchial hypersensitivity and hyperresponsiveness