Resp Basics Flashcards
Features of an inspiratory wheeze?
Monophonic
upper airways
tracheal tumour/TB
Features of expiratory wheeze?
Polyphonic
Bronchoconstriction
Asthma
What is obstructive lung disease?
Narrowing of airways that prevents outflow from the lungs for gas exchange
Types of obstructive lung disease? Features?
Asthma - reversible airway obstruction - mast cell degranulation of histamine
CODP - Irreversible airway obstruction, long term smoking damage
What is SOB?
Difficulty breathing - use of accessory muscles and increased breathing rate
- ‘dyspnoea’
What make SOB worse?
Blood loss
Ventilation problem - Choking
Heart failure
Causes of SOB?
Lung problem:
- Asthma
- COPD
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Interstitial lung disease
- Pneumonia
Heart problem:
- Failure = inadequate O2 supply
- MI
Blood problem:
- Anaemia (low Hb = low O2)
- Diabetic ketoacidosis = fast breathing = retention of metabolic acid from ketones
Joint cardiac and resp problems:
- Anxiety - fight/flight, hyperventilation, tachycardia
- PE - ventilation/perfusion problem
What is the normal respiratory rate?
12-16 breaths/min
What resp rate indicates tachypnoea?
20 breaths/min
Criteria of an acute severe asthma attack?
Resp rate over 25/30 per min
Peak flow is 50% below expected
Cannot complete sentences
Hr >110/min
When does an asthma attack become life threatening?
PEF <33%
SpO2<92%
Cyanosis
Exhaustion
What is FEV1?
Forced expiratory volume over the 1st second of breathing out
What is FVC?
Forced vital capacity = vol of air that can be forcibly blown out after a full insp
What is the normal FEV1/FVC?
0.8 or more
What is the FEV1/FVC for obstructive disease?
What indicates asthma?
0.7 or less
Asthma needs to demo reversibility - give bronchodilator and repeat (if improves FEV1/FVC = asthmatic)