Pulmonary Disease Flashcards
Define tidal volume
Amount of air passing in and out with each breath
What are three different types of cells that you find in alveoli and what do they do?
Epithelial (Type I) - line in the inside of the alveoli and are thin enough to allow gas exchange (face air side)
Secretory (type II) - which secrete surfactant to break the surface tension of water when it enters the lungs through breathing
Macrophages - which phagocytize pathogens or particles for disposal
How does the body detect increased levels of CO2?
The arterial chemosensors are sensitive to levels of CO2 concentration and affect mostly the respiratory rate alone
Define Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and why is it measured?
The maximum velocity of air on forced expiration - really important in asthma
What is FEV1
The volume of air that can forcibly be blown out in one second, after full inspiration
What is FCV
The volume of air that can forcibly be blown out after full inspiration
FEV1/FVC ratio - should be about 75-80% (this is most helpful in COPD)
When FEV1/FVC is decreased, this signifies an obstructive pattern
Asthma classifications and treatment of each
Intermittent:
–<2 asthma attacks per week, FEV1 >80%, Minimal use of rescue inhaler
—-Albuterol inhaler given PRN
Mild persistent:
–>2 asthma attacks/week, night time sxs, FEV1 >80%, >2 uses of rescue inhaler
—Albuterol inhaler PRN plus inhaled steroid daily (Flovent - fluticasone)
Moderate persistent:
–Daily asthma attacks, >1/week night time sxs, FEV1 60-80%, daily use of rescue inhaler
—- Albuterol PRN, inhaled steroid, plus leukotriene modulator (Singulair - montelukast)
Severe persistent:
–Continuous asthma sxs, frequent night time sxs, FEV1 <60%, frequent rescue inhaler use
—-All of the above plus systemic steroids like prednisone, either in tapers or low maintenance doses
Basic management of asthma exacerbation - stepwise progression
Albuterol nebs and/or atrovent - (duoneb) - helps treat bronchospasm and also dries up secretions
If this does not work, can give Solu-medrol (methylprednisolone) IV for really bad asthma exacerbation.
Heliox - oxygen mixed with helium. Helium can get into really tight airway spaces
Intubation for extreme cases
Most common risk factor for COPD
Cigarette smoking
What are the two types of COPD
Emphysema - abnormal and permanent enlargement of the alveoli, making them useless
—“Pink puffers” - pink complexion, barrel chested, increased respiratory rates, skinny, pursed lips, mild sputum that is clear
—–Bronchodilators, O2
Chronic bronchitis - chronic productive cough with significant airflow limitations with productive cough for 3 months in two consecutive years
—“Blue bloaters” - cyanosis, edema, loud wheezing and rhoncci, copious mucous production
—–Antibx, mucolytics/expectorants
Types of inhalers used in COPD
SABA - Short Acting Beta-Agonists - Albuterol (sold as ProAir)
SAMA - Short Acting Muscarinic-Agonists - Ipratopium (Atrovent)
—Combination of the two is Combivent MDI or DuoNeb solution
LABA - Long Acting Beta-Agonist - Salmeterol (Serevent)
LAMA - Long Acting Muscarinic-Agonist - tiotropium (Spiriva)
Inhaled glucocorticoids - Fluticasone (Flovent MDI), Budesonide (Pulmicort MDI)
—Combined LABA and glucocorticoids: Symbicort and Advair Diskus
What often causes COPD exacerbation
70-80% of exacerbations are caused by infection
Continued smoking and poor medication adherence are also causes
Mainstay of treatment for COPD
Albuterol Nebulizer
Can augment with Ipratopium to get DuoNeb
O2 given should be medical air to keep O2 above 88% but at lowest possible to reduce free radical production which could happen in hyper-oxygenation
Antibiotic choices in patients with COPD exacerbation
If infectious sxs are also present, consider antibxs.
Most frequent isolated bacteria from patients with COPD is S. pneumoniae
—-Therefore Doxycycline 100mg PO/IV BID is recommended
Also need to consider if there is a risk for Pseudomonas (frequent antibx courses, recent hospitalization, previous Pseudomonas infection, FEV1 <50%.
—-Then levofloxacin 750mg PO/IV
Define Bronchiectasis and what are it’s treatments
Classified as an obstructive lung disease
Permanent, abnormal dilation and destruction of bronchial walls, most often caused by recurrent inflammation or infection of the airways
Different from chronic bronchitis dominant COPD because alveolar are not necessarily affected but the airways are
About half of cases are caused by cystic fibrosis
CXR shows Tram Tracks
Antibiotic treatment should be tailored to previous cultures
Treatment of cystic fibrosis
Postural drainage
Inhaled recombinant human deoxyribonuclease (rhDNase) to cleave DNA from the mucus to make it less sticky
Inhaled hypertonic saline
Inhaled bronchodilators
If acute infection - given antibx that are tailored to past sputum cultures
What is Cor Pulmonale?
RV hypertrophy which results in less blood being able to enter the RV because it is so dilated.
Often caused by pulmonary hypertension
Symptoms of Pulmonary Hypertension
Cyanosis can be present - clubbing
JVD
A loud S2 (pulmonic valve closure)
Hepatojugular reflux
Parasternal heave
Anasarca - edema of the entire body
What measures pulmonary artery pressure?
Swan Ganz catheter
Enters through Superior Vena Cava down through the RA, into the RV, into the pulmonary artery
Treatment of pulmonary hypertension
Usually caused by emphysema which will never go away however the pulmonary hypertension can be treated:
High-dose calcium channel blockers (Nifedipine)
Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (Viagra) result in pulmonary vasodilation
Prostaglandins (epoprostanol) however when given nebulized, half life is in seconds so it needs to be given in the hospital (Veletri)
—Most effective
Atrial Sepstostomy - surgical procedure where a hole is placed between RA and LA dramatically decreasing pressure in RA but now there is a lot of unoxygenated blood in circulatory system - could cause syncope
Lung and/or Heart Transplant
Virchow’s Triad for VTE
Alterations in blood flow: Immobilization, pregnancy, obesity
Factors in the vessel wall: Trauma, endothelial injury d/u sepsis, surgery, catheterization
Factors affecting the properties of the blood (procoagulant state): contraceptives, genetic thrombophilia, cancer, acquired thrombophilia
Scoring system to rule out PE
PERC Rules:
Age <50
HR <100
SpO2 >95%
No unilateral leg swelling
No hemoptysis
No recent trauma or surgery
No prior DVT or PE
No hormone use
If any positive, then the rule does not apply and qualifies to rule out by D-dimer
EKG findings in PE
S1Q3T3
S-wave in I
Q wave and inverted T wave in III