Pathophysiology of COPD Flashcards
What is COPD?
-persistent airflow limitation usually progressive and associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airways and lungs to noxious particles or gases
What is the predominant cause of COPD?
smoking
What are the characteristics of the obstructed airflow in COPD sufferers?
- not fully reversible
- doesn’t change over months
- progressive in the long term
Two factors that contribute to the severity of COPD in patients?
Exacerbations and Comorbidities
When do exacerbations occur?
when symptoms worsen rapidly beyond normal day-to-day variations requiring a change in treatment.
Symptoms of COPD?
- chronic and progressive dyspnoea
- chronic cough
- chronic sputum production
Risk factors of COPD?
- genes
2. exposure to particles i.e. tobacco, dust, heating and cooking air pollution, outdoor air pollution
Two classes of COPD?
- chronic bronchitis
2. emphysema
what is chronic bronchitis?
- a chronic cough with sputum production lasting at least 3 months
- the bronchioles lose shape and are blocked with mucus.
what is emphysema?
- a chronic cough caused by shortness of breath
- alveolar walls destroyed forming larger but fewer alveoli
what happens when an individual is exposed to COPD risk factors?
- neutrophils and macrophages accumulate in alveoli
- they become activated and release granules containing elastase and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)
- resulting in damage and elastic tissue destruction
- hence inflammation
What is the protease/antiprotease imbalance theory?
- this is when there is a deficiency in congenital or functional alpha1 anti-trypsin
- hence causing an unbalance b/w the destructive protease activity and the protective antiprotease activity
define congenital and functional?
congenital - a trait since birth
functional - a trait developed as a result of an event
what is the consequence of tissue damage in the lung?
airway obstruction (dyspnoea)
Explain how tissue damage in the lungs causes dyspnoea in relation to elastic tissue?
- inflammatory infiltration of walls with neutrophils, macrophages, B cells and T cells
- loss of elastic tissue
- respiratory bronchioles collapse during expiration
- dyspnoea