Pneumonias Flashcards
Categories of material that the lung encounters in an average
- Small particulate matter
- Noxious gases
- Microorganisms
Major sources of material that the lung encounters
- Matter that is breathed in via the oral cavity-respiratory route
- Matter that is secreted along the upper GI tract and aspirated back into the respiratory route
- Matter that is dissemianted through the blood and arrives at the lungs and bronchi through circulation
Categories of defenses that the lung uses to protect itself
- Physical or anatomic barriers
- Antimicrobial peptides
- Innate immunity
- Adaptive immunity
Inhaled particles often accumulate at. . .
. . . subcarinae, or the points of division of the airways
Size of particles
>10 μm : Likely to settle in the nose
5 - 10 μm : Likely to settle in the trachea or conducting airways
0.5 - 5 μm : Likely to make it down to the level of the alveoli and distal lung parenchyma
Mechanical defense of the trachea and bronchi
- Cough (triggered by irritant receptors)
- Mucocilliary escalator
Cilium cross section
Layers of the mucous blanket
Proximal to the cells is the sol layer, made up of cilia and an aqueous solution full of antimicrobial peptides.
Above this layer is the gel layer, which is where the mucous produced by mucosal and submucosal goblet cells resides. It is beated forward towards the esophagus by the cilia down beneath in the sol layer.
Major anti-microbial molecules of the respiratory tract
- IgA
- Lysozyme
- Lactoferrin
- Defensins
- Collectins (aka surfactant A and D)
Lysozyme
Synthesized by respiratory epithelial cells, serous glandular cells, and macrophages
As the name implies, lysozyme causes bacterial cell death by inducing lysis. It is most active against gram-positive organisms.
Deficiency associated with presdisposition to acute bronchitis.
Lactoferrin
Present in airway fluid. Produced by serous cells and neutrophils.
Lactoferrin acts to agglutinate and kill bacteria, enhance neutrophil adherence, and prime neutrophil superoxide production. Also functions to block iron from supporting bacterial metabolism.
Defensins
The major defensins of the lung are α-defensins and β-defensins. α-Defensins are synthesized by resident neutrophils; β-defensins are made by respiratory epithelial cells.
Broad antimicrobial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. They act by making the microbial cell wall permeable, thus causing release of microbial cell contents and destruction of the membrane potential.
Activity sensitive to salt concentrations, and as such they are inactive in cystic fibrosis.
Collectins
Produced by type II pneumocytes.
Antimicrobial function is a result of binding and aggregating microbes and facilitating interaction with phagocytic cells (opsonization). Also appear to be important in regulation of pulmonary macrophage activity and cytokine production.
Pulmonary alveolar macrophages
Bone marrow monocyte-derived. Adhere to and patrol alveolar epithelium. Have a major role in killing microorganisms that have reached the lower respiratory tract.
Aided by numerous opsonins in the alveolar space, including IgG, secretory IgA, complement, and fibronectin.
Interestingly, macrophages have a somewhat high barrier to proinflammatory cytokine secretion, presumably as a means of activating alveolitis only when it is truly necessary for immune defense.
Most of the IgA along the respiratory tract resides within. . .
The nasopharynx and upper airways
Requirements for effective coughing
- Ability to inspire deeply
- Ability to increase intrathoracic pressure against a closed glottis
- Ability to coordinate an expiratory blast during which the glottis opens
Dyskinetic cilia syndrome
Defect in ciliary structure and function leads to absent or impaired ciliary motility and hence to ineffective mucociliary clearance. Most commonly results form ineffective dynein.
Clinically associated with chronic sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, and bronchiectasis
Causes of impaired mucociliary clearance
- Dyskinetic (immotile) cilia syndrome
- Viral respiratory tract infection
- Cigarette smoking
- High concentrations of O2 for prolonged periods (90% to 100% inhaled for more than several hours)
- General anesthesia
Ventilator-associated pneumonia
Bacterial infection of respiratory tract due to endotracheal tubing
Common contributing factors for pneumonia in the immunocompetent host are:
- Viral upper respiratory tract infection
- Ethanol abuse
- Cigarette smoking
- Heart failure
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Overarching categories of pneumonias
- Viral
- Bacterial
- Mycoplasma
Bacterium most frequently associated with pneumonia
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Of note, it also produces much more severe pneumonias than many other etiologies
Gram-negative organisms that commonly cause pneumonia
- Haemophilus influenzae (increased risk with COPD)
- Klebsiella pneumoniae (increased risk with alcoholism)
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa (often nosocomial, primarily seen in patients who are hospitalized, debilitated, and have been previously treated with antibiotics)
Most common cause of anaerobic pneumonia
Aspiration of secretions from the oropharynx into the tracheobronial tree
Populations at increased risk for pneumonia caused by anaerobic or mixed mouth organisms
- Patients prone to aspirate:
- Patients with impaired consciousness (coma, lcohol or drug ingestion, or seizures)
- Patients with difficulty swallowing (as a result of stroke or diseases causing muscle weakness)
- Patients with poor dental hygiene or with gum disease
With prolonged hospitalization, the organisms populating the oropharynx may switch:
- Streptococci are displaced by:
- Staph aureus
- Aerobic gram-negative bacilli
Legionella pneumophila
Gram-negative bacillus that stains very poorly and is generally not seen by conventional staining methods
Cause of numerous epidemics and small sporadic cases of pneumonia
Chlamydophila pneumoniae
Recognized in epidemiologic studies as the cause of approximately 5% to 10% of cases of pneumonia. Obligate intracellular parasite related to gram-negative bacteria.
Diagnosis is rarely made clinically because of the lack of distinguishing clinical and radiographic features, and the organism is not readily cultured. As a result, serologic studies serve as the primary means of diagnosis, although they are infrequently obtained.
Mycoplasma
A class of organisms intermediate between viruses and bacteria
Unlike bacteria, they have no rigid cell wall. Unlike viruses, they do not require the intracellular machinery of a host cell to replicate and are capable of free-living growth.
Now recognized as a common cause of pneumonia, perhaps responsible for a minimum of 10% to 20% of all cases.
Lobar Pneumonia
A process not limited to segmental boundaries but rather tending to spread throughout an entire lobe of the lung.
Spread of the infection is believed to occur from alveolus to alveolus via pores of Kohn.
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a prime example.
Bronchopneumonia
Distal airway inflammation is prominent along with alveolar disease, and spread of the infection and the inflammatory process tends to occur through airways.
Patchy in distribution, depending on where spread by airways has occurred.
Ex, staphylococci and a variety of gram-negative bacilli
Interstitial Pneumonia
Interstitial pneumonias are characterized by an inflammatory process within the interstitial walls rather than alveolar spaces.
Viral pneumonias classically start as interstitial pneumonias, severe cases generally show extension of the inflammatory process to alveolar spaces as well.
Often following infection and clearance of S. pneumoniae, the lungs. . .
Often following infection and clearance of S. pneumoniae, the lungs heal with little to no scaring and are essentially normal.
Often following infection and clearance of staphylococcal and anaerobic pneumonias the lungs. . .
Often following infection and clearance of staphylococcal and anaerobic pneumonias the lungs are necrosed and may have diffuse cavities, resulting in scarring and permanent loss of some parenchyma.
Patients with pneumonia frequently have a PCO2 ____.
Patients with pneumonia frequently have a PCO2 less than 40 mm Hg
In other words, they are hyperventilating
The primary cause of hypoxemia in pneumonia is ___.
The primary cause of hypoxemia in pneumonia is V/Q mismatch.