Overview of conditions Flashcards

COPD, asthma, pneumothorax, pleural effusion, empyema, resp failure, mesothelioma, pneumonia, pulmonary oedema

1
Q

What does COPD stand for?

A

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is COPD?

A

A (potentially partially reversible) condition where airflow progressively reduces over time, especially in expiration (there is greater resistance).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Who gets COPD?

A

Smokers, people in industrialised countries (air pollution)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

How do patients with COPD present?

A

Breathlessness - that has developed over time
Productive cough
(Wheeze)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

How do patients with COPD and chronic bronchitis present?

A

Productive cough
Infections with purulent sputum
Increasing breathlessness
Wheeze

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the treatment for mild COPD?

A

SAMA = ipratropium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is the treatment for moderate COPD?

A

LABA/LAMA combo

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are the complications/types of COPD?

A

Emphysema

Chronic bronchitis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is the prognosis of COPD?

A

It is SOMETIMES partially reversible but is mainly palliative

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

How do you diagnose COPD?

A
CXR
Arterial blood gas
Spirometry
Pulmonary function test
CT scan
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is a pleural effusion?

A

an abnormal collection of fluid in the pleural space

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How do you diagnose pleural effusion?

A

Examination - dull percussion
CXR, CT scan
Pleural aspirate/biopsy - allowing biochem and cytology and culture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How do you treat a pleural effusion that isn’t malignant?

A

Drainage, if infectious then antibiotics and may need surgery

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is mesothelioma?

A

an uncommon, malignant tumour of the lining of the lung, causing pleural thickening causing the lung to shrink

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Who gets it mesothelioma?

A

People who have been exposed to asbestos

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How do patients with mesothelioma present?

A
Breathlessness
Chest pain
Weight loss
Fever
Sweating
Cough
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

How do you diagnose mesothelioma?

A

Imaging
Pleural fluid aspiration
Biopsy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the treatment for mesothelioma?

A
Palliative:
- radiotherapy
- chemotherapy
- pleurodese effusions
Can do surgery but only in clinical trials.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is the prognosis for mesothelioma?

A

Palliative

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the treatment for malignant mesothelioma?

A
Drain, pleurodesis, long term pleural catheter
(Palliate symptoms
Repeated pleural taps
Talc slurry
Pleurodesis
Long term pleural catheters
Surgical options: abrasion, pleurectomy)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is a pneumothorax?

A

Air in the pleural space

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Who gets pneumothorax/more common in?

A

Tall thin men, smokers, cannabis users, underlying lung disease patients

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

How do patients with pneumothorax present?

A

Acute onset of pleuritic chest pain
SOB
Hypoxia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What are the signs that a patient has a pneumothorax?

A
Tachycardia
Hyper-resonant percussion (extra hollow)
Reduced expansion
Quiet breath sounds on auscultation
Hamman's sign (click)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

How do you diagnose someone with pneumothorax?

A

CXR

sometimes CT as well

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What is the treatment for a pneumothorax?

A
NO treatment if no symptoms (asymptomatic) and small
OTHERWISE
Oxygen
Aspiration in the 2nd intercostal space
if not enough time then...chest drain
MAY NEED
suction or surgical intervention
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What is a tension pneumothorax?

A

When a pneumothorax is so large that it causes the lung to collapse and shift to the other side, displacing the trachea and heart

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

How do you diagnose a tension pneumothorax?

A
No breath sounds
Tracheal deviation
Hypotension (low BP)
Raised JVP (jugular venous pressure)
Reduced air entry on the affected side
29
Q

What is the treatment for a tension pneumothorax?

A

Needle decompressions (2nd intercostal space (for emergency) vs the safety triangle)

30
Q

What is empyema?

A

A pleural effusion but pus instead of liquid

31
Q

What is the treatment for empyema?

A

Antibiotics (6 wks, co-amoxiclav)
Drain as needed
If doesn’t go away then surgeons remove it all and wash out the lung.

32
Q

What is asthma?

A

A recurrent and reversible (in the short term) obstruction to the airways in response to a substance that isn’t necessarily noxious and doesn’t normally affect non-asthmatic subjects.

33
Q

What is the asthma triad?

A

Reversible airflow obstruction
Airway hyperresponsiveness
Airway hyperinflammation

34
Q

Where does asthma affect?

A

BOTH the large and small airways

35
Q

What are the steps of the dynamic evolution of asthma?

A

Bronchoconstriction
Chronic airway inflammation
Airway remodelling
Inflammatory cascade

36
Q

What is the initial response in asthma?

A

Constriction of the bronchioles = bronchospasm

37
Q

What is the secondary response to asthma?

A

The immune response

38
Q

What permanent changes can asthma cause as a result of long standing inflammation?

A

Thickening of smooth muscle in bronchioles
Increased secretion of mucus
Accumulation of interstitial fluid
Epithelial damage, exposing sensory nerve endings
Sub-epithelial fibrosis

39
Q

Who gets asthma?

A

5-10% of the Population in industrialised countries.
Can be genetically predisposed
Non-smokers
Could be genetically predisposed

40
Q

How do asthmatics present?

A
Wheezing (on expiration)
Struggling to breathe
Tight chest
Cough
Diurnal variability (bad at night and worse in the mornings)
41
Q

How is asthma diagnosed?

A

Challenge tests
Spirometry
Peak flow (how much can blow out)
Exercise testing

42
Q

What is the first line treatment for asthma?

A

SABA (salbutamol - blue inhaler) with an inhaled steroid (glucocorticoid - brown inhaler)

43
Q

If a SABA and an ICS doesn’t work for asthma what do you add in?

A

A LABA (salmeterol)

44
Q

If SABA, ICS and LABA doesn’t work for asthma what do you do?

A
Increase the dose of the ICS
ADD: CysLT1 (LTRA) (Montelukast)
LAMA triple therapy (tiotropium)
xanthines (theophylline)
cromones (cromoglycate)
Anti-IgE (omalizumab)
Anti-IL-5 (mepolizumab)
Anti-IL4a (duplimab)
45
Q

What is the difference between restrictive and obstructive lung disease, give examples?

A

Obstructive have problems with expiration (COPD, asthma)

Restrictive have problems with inspiration (pulmonary fibrosis)

46
Q

what is the treatment for chronic asthma?

A

Avoid triggers
ICS
+/- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (eg: theophylline, anti-leukotriene)
+/- LABA/LAMA to stabilise smooth muscle

47
Q

what is the treatment for acute asthma?

A
Oral prednisolone
Nebulised high dose salbutamol 
\+/- neb ipratropium, IV aminophylline
At least 60% O2
Assisted ventilation if failing PaO2 and rising PaCO2
48
Q

what is the treatment for COPD as it progresses?

A
LABA/LAMA combo
ICS/LABA/LAMA combo
PDE4 inhibitor (roflumilast
Mucolytic (carbocisteine)
Antibiotics (azithromycin)
49
Q

treatment of acute COPD?

A

Nebulised high dose salbutamol + ipratropium
Oral prednisolone
Antibiotic if infectious exacerbation (amoxycillin/doxycycline)
24-28% O2
Non invasive ventilation

50
Q

how do you distinguish between type 1 and 2 respiratory failure?

A

Type 1 is hypoxic with normal or low CO2

Type 2 is hypoxic and hypercapnic (high CO2)

51
Q

what is pneumonia?

A

inflammation of the lung, normally due to infection, resulting in consolidation on a CXR

52
Q

what are the types of pneumonia?

A
community acquired
hospital acquired
aspiration pneumonia
legionella
atypical/walking pneumonia
53
Q

stages of lobar pneumonia?

A

congestion
red hepatization
grey hepatization
resolution

54
Q

what are the common causes of pneumonia? (3)

A

strep pneumonia
haem influenzae
staph aureus

55
Q

what are common community acquired pneumoniae?

A

mycoplasma pneumoniae
coxiella burnetiid
chlamydia psittaci
legionella pneumophilia

56
Q

what type of pneumonia is more common in alcoholics?

A

klebsiella

57
Q

what would you find when examining someone with pneumonia?

A

late inspiratory crackles

dull percussion

58
Q

what investigations would you do for pneumonia?

A
CXR
blood culture
serology
PCR
ABGs
Bloods
Sputum
59
Q

what does the CURB65 mean and what is it used for?

A

used to assess severity of community acquired pneumonia.

Confusion
Urea (>7)
Resp rate (>30)
Bp (systolic <90, dia <61)
65 - age
60
Q

what is pneumothorax?

A

air in the pleural cavity

61
Q

what is pleural effusion?

A

fluid in the pleural cavities

62
Q

what is pulmonary oedema?

A

fluid in the alveolar spaces

63
Q

what is the general treatment for pneumonia?

A

amoxicillin or doxycycline if allergic
oxygen
fluids
bed rest

64
Q

why can’t you use penicillin for mycoplasma pneumonia?

A

it has no cell wall so is resistant

65
Q

what is the treatment for community acquired pneumonia?

A

tetracycline and macrolides

66
Q

what is the treatment for hospital acquired pneumonia?

A

amoxicillin and gentamicin

67
Q

what is the treatment for aspiration pneumonia and why>

A

amoxicillin and metronidazole (as need anaerobic cover as came from stomach)

68
Q

what is the treatment for legionella pneumoniae?

A

levofloxacin