Respiratory Flashcards
Give 4 symptoms of a PE
- SOB
- Cough
- Haemoptysis
- Pleuritic chest pain
Give 4 signs of a PE
- Hypoxia
- Tachycardia
- Tachypnea (MOST COMMON FINDING)
- Low-grade fever
What is seen on an ABG in a PE?
- Respiratory alkalosis
What are the RF for a PE?
- Immobility
- Recent surgery
- Long-haul travel
- Pregnancy
- COCP or HRT
- Malignancy
- Polycythaemia
- SLE
- Thrombophilia
How is a PE treated?
- Anticoagulation :
- 1st line = Apixaban : 10 mg twice daily for 7 days, then maintenance 5 mg twice daily.
- LMWH if eGFR <15
what is defined as a massive PE and how is it treated?
- > 50% obstruction of pulmonary artery.
- Continuous infusion of unfractionated heparin and thrombolysis
What long term anticoagulation is used following a PE?
- DOAC : avoid in severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance less than 15 ml/min)
- LMWH : 1st line in pregnancy
- Warfarin : 1st line in antiphospholipid syndrome
How can differentiate between a respiratory alkalosis caused by hyperventilation sydrome and that caused by a PE ?
- In a PE low will be a low PaO2 as well as a low PaCO2.
- In panic /anxiety, there is no element of hypoxia, PaO2 is in fact high.
what is the approach to investigation a PE
- PERC
- Well’s
- PE unlikely based on wells (<4) = d dimer if result within 4 hrs or interim anticoag
- PE likely based on wells (>4)= CTPA or interim anticoag
If D dimer -ve
consider alternative diagnosis
If d dimer +ve
CTPA or interim anticoag
If CTPA +ve
PE diagnosed
If CTPA -ve
consider proximal leg USS if DVT suspected
what is the PERC
- Used in people with a low pre test probability of a PE
- All criteria have to be absent to rule our PE
what are the components of the well’s criteria ?
- Clinical signs and symptoms of DVT (minimum of leg swelling and pain with palpation of the deep veins) = 3
- An alternative diagnosis is less likely than PE =3
- Heart rate > 100 bpm =1.5
- Immobilisation for more than 3 days or surgery in the previous 4 weeks = 1.5
- Previous DVT/PE = 1.5
- Haemoptysis = 1
- Malignancy (on treatment, treated in the last 6 months, or palliative)
what are the ECG findings in a PE ?
- Large S wave in lead I, a large Q wave in lead III and an inverted T wave in lead III - ‘S1Q3T
- Sinus tachy
- RBBB with right axis deviation
what is the length of anticoagulant following VTE ?
- Provoked = 3 mnths (3-6 if active cancer)
- unprovoked = 6 months
what kind of hypersensitivity reaction is asthma ?
Type 1 hypersensitivity
IgE mediated
what factors lead to the symptoms of asthma ?
- Chronic inflammation
- Bronchoconstriction
- Airway obstruction
what are the symptoms of asthma ?
They are episodic with diurnal variation and worse at night
- SOB
- Chest tightness
- Dry cough, worse at night
- Wheeze
what are the signs if asthma ?
- Widespread polyphonic wheeze on auscultation
- Reduced peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR)
what can exaccerbate the symptoms of asthma. ?
- Infection
- Nighttime or early morning
- Exercise
- Animals
- Cold, damp or dusty air
- Strong emotions
what are the two measurements used in spirometry ?
- FEV1: forced expiratory volume - volume that has been exhaled at the end of the first second of forced expiration
- FVC: forced vital capacity - volume that has been exhaled after a maximal expiration following a full inspiration
what is seen on spirometry in asthma ?
- FEV1 - significantly reduced
- FVC - normal
- FEV1 (FEV1/FVC) < 70% = obstructive picture
Asthma diagnosis in >17
- Sprriometry with BDR test
- All pts = FeNO (>40 ppb is +ve)
- BDR (Increase in FEV1 >=>12% and increase in volume of 200ml = +ve)
Asthma diagnosis in 12-16
- Spirometry with BDR test.
- If normal spiro or obstructive spiro with no BDR = FeNO
- FeNO >=35ppb = +ve
- Spiro : BDR >=12% = +ve
Based on the NICE guidelines, what is the stepwise long term management of asthama
Add drug at each stage
- SABA (salbutamol)
- SABA + Low dose ICS
- SABA + ICS + LTRA (montelukast)
- SABA + ICS + LABA (salmeterol) - continue LTRA based on response
- SABA +/- LTRA AND MART (combined ICS and LABA)
- SABA +/- LTRA with moderate dose ICS MART
- SABA +/-LTRA with high dose ICS or additional drugs (LAMA or theophylline)
- Specialist management
what are the presenting symptoms of pneumonia ?
- Cough (purulent rust coloured / blood stained sputum)
- SOB
- Pleuritic chest pain
- Fever
- Malaise
what are characteristic chest signs of pneumonia ?
- High fever, tachy, hypo, confusion
- Tachypnoea
- Hypoxia
- Focal coarse crackles, bronchial breathing, reduced breath sounds
- Dullness to percussion (fluid)
what is used to assess the severity of someone with pneumonia ?
- Community : CRB65
- Hospital : CURB65
- C : Confusion
- U : Urea (>7mmol/L
- R : RR >=30
- B : BP (<90/60)
- > =65
- Score of greater than 0 = hospital admission
most common bacterial causes of pneumonia.
- Streptococcus pneumoniae (most common cause of CAP)
- Haemophilus influenza (common in COPD, bronchiectasis)
Atypical cause of pneumonia in a pt recentyl been on holiday presenting with symptoms of penumonia and hyponatraemia
- Legionella pneumophilia
- Causes pneumonia and SIADH (low sodium)
- Urine antigen is initial screening test
What are the 5 causes of atypical pneumonia
Legions of Psittaci MCQs
- Legionella pneumophila
- Psittaci : chlamydia psittaci (=parrot owner)
- M : mycoplasma pneumoniae (= causes erythema multiforme)
- C : Chlamydophila pneumoniae (= affects children)
- Qs : Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) = farmer with flu like illness
what is a cause of pneumonia in immunocomprimised pts, particularly those with HIV
- Penumocystis jirovecii
- Fungal
- Druy cough, SOB, night sweats
- Tx : Co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole)
what investigations are done for pneumonia when admitted to hospital (5)
- CXR = consolidation
- Full blood count (raised white cell count)
- Renal profile (urea level for the CURB-65 score and acute kidney injury)
- CRP (raised in inflammation and infection)
- Sputum / blood cultures
CURB-65 of 0-2
- 5 days oral antibiotics
- 1st line = Amoxicillin +/- PO clarithromycin
IF CI - PO doxycycline or levofloxacin
CURB-65 score 3-5
- 7 to 10 days
- IV co-amoxiclav + PO/IV Clarithromycin
IF CI - IV Teicoplanin + PO/IV Levofloxacin
when should all cases of pneumonia have a repeat CXR ?
6 wks after clinical resolution
Management of legionella pneumophila
- 1st line = PO/IV Levofloxacin or clarithrromycin
- 2nd line = PO Azithromycin
Complications of pneumonia (7)
Pleural effusion
Empyema
Pneumothorax
Pulmonary embolism
Lung abscess
ARDS
Sepsis with multi-organ failure
How can lung cancer be histologically divided
- Small cell (SCLC)
- Non small cell (NSCLC) - 80%
What are the subtypes of NSCLC ?
- Adenocarcinoma : most common
- Squamous
- Large cell
- Alveolar cell carcinoma
- Bronchial adenoma
what type of lung cancer is associated with asbestos exposure ?
Mesothelioma
what are the common presenting features of lung cancer (8)
SOB
Persistent cough
Haemoptysis
Recurrent pneumonia
Weight loss and anorexia
Chest pain
Hoarseness
Superior vena cava syndrome
what tumour is associated with hoarsness and why ?
- Pancoast
- Presses on recurrent laryngeal nerve
What can be seen on examination in lung cancer ?
- Fixed, monophonic wheeze may be noted
- Supraclavicular lymphadenopathy or persistent cervical lymphadenopathy
- Clubbing
what paraneoplastic features can be seen in SCLC?
- Cushing’s : ectopic ACTH
- SIADH : ectopic ADH -> hyponatraemia
- Lambert-Eaton
- Limbic encephalitis -> anti-Hu antibodies - STM impairment, hallucinations, confusion, seizures
what paraneoplastic features are seen in squamous cell lung cancers ?
- Hypercalcaemia -> ectopic PTH
- Clubbing
- Hyperthyroidism -> ectopic TSH
- HPOA
what is the triad of horner’s syndrome ?
- Ptosis
- Miosis
- Anhidrosis
what paraneoplastic features are seen in adenocarcinomas of the lung ?
- Gynaecomastia
- HPOA
How does superior vena cava obstruction present ?
- Facial swelling, difficulty breathing, distended neck & upper chest veins
- Pemberton’s sign : raising hands over head causes facial congestion and cyanosis
when is a two week wait CXR done for suspected lung cancer ? (five)
Pts >40 with :
- Clubbing
- Lymphadenopathy (supraclavicular or persistent abnormal cervical nodes)
- Recurrent or persistent chest infections
- Raised platelet count (thrombocytosis)
- Chest signs of lung cancer
When is CXR also offered for unexplained symptoms of lung cancer ?
- 2 or more in pts >40 who have never smokes
- 1 or more in pts >40 who have smoked or had asbestos exposure
Cough
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Fatigue
Weight loss
Loss of appetite
Explain type 1 and type 2 resp failure on ABG
- > Normal PaCO2 with low PaO2 indicates type 1 respiratory failure
-> Raised PaCO2 with low PaO2 indicates type 2 respiratory failure
what suggests a person is a chronic retainer of CO2 on ABG
- Raised bicarbonate
- In an acute exacerbation -> they will become acidotic with raised CO2 despite the raised bicarbonate
Give 2 causes of respiratory alkalosis
- Hyperventilation : high PaO2, low PaCO2 and alkalosis
- PE : LOW PaO2, Low PaCO2 and alkalosis
Moderate acute exacerbation of asthma
-> PEFR : 50-75% best or predicted
Severe acute exacerbation of asthma
- Peak flow 33-50% best or predicted
- Respiratory rate above 25
- Heart rate above 110
- Unable to complete sentences
Life threatening acute exacerbation of asthma
- Peak flow less than 33%
- Oxygen saturations less than 92%
- PaO2 less than 8 kPa
- Becoming tired
- Confusion or agitation
- No wheeze or silent chest
- Haemodynamic instability (shock)
- Normal PCO2
Neat fatal acute astma
Raised pCO2 and / or requiring mechanical ventilation with raised inflation pressures
management of mild asthma exacerbation
- Inhaled beta-2 agonists (e.g., salbutamol) via a spacer
- Quadrupled dose of their inhaled corticosteroid (for up to 2 weeks)
- Oral steroids (prednisolone) if the higher ICS is inadequate
- Antibiotics only if there is convincing evidence of bacterial infection
- Follow-up within 48 hours
Management of moderate asthma exacerbation
- Consider hospital admission
- Nebulised beta-2 agonists (e.g., salbutamol)
- Steroids (e.g., oral prednisolone or IV hydrocortisone)
Management of severe asthma exacerbation
- Hospital admission
- Oxygen to maintain sats 94-98%
1. Nebulised salbutamol.
2. Corticosteroids
3. Nebulised ipratropium bromide
4. IV magnesium sulphate
5. IV aminophylline
6. ITU
what is the criteria for discharge following asthma exacerbation ?
- Stable on their discharge medication (i.e. no nebulisers or oxygen) for 12–24 hours
- Inhaler technique checked and recorded
- PEF >75% of best or predicted
what needs monitoring with salbutamol treatment ?
- Serum potassium
- Can cause hypokalaemia
what is acute bronchitis
- Chest infection associated with inflammation of trachea and major bronchi
Typical presentation of acute bronchitis
- cough: may or may not be productive
- sore throat
- rhinorrhoea
- wheeze
- Low grade fever
Normally supportive management BUT when would Abx be offered for acute bronchitis and what is first line ?
- are systemically very unwell
- have pre-existing co-morbidities
- have a CRP of 20-100mg/L (offer delayed prescription) or a CRP >100mg/L (offer antibiotics immediately)
- Doxycyline for 5 days
Typical presentation of COPD
Long term smoker with :
- SOB
- Cough
- Sputum production
- Wheeze
- Recurrent respiratory infections, particularly in winter
How is COPD diagnosed >
- Clinical presentation and spirometry results
- Spirometry will show obstructive picture = FEV1:FVC ratio of <70%
How is the severity of COPD staged ?
-> Stage 1 (mild): FEV1 more than 80% of predicted
-> Stage 2 (moderate): FEV1 50-79% of predicted
-> Stage 3 (severe): FEV1 30-49% of predicted
-> Stage 4 (very severe): FEV1 less than 30% of predicted
what can be used to assess the degree of breathlessness in COPD ?
-> MRC dyspnoea scale
- Grade 1: Breathless on strenuous exercise
- Grade 2: Breathless on walking uphill
- Grade 3: Breathlessness that slows walking on the flat
- Grade 4: Breathlessness stops them from walking more than 100 meters on the flat
- Grade 5: Unable to leave the house due to breathlessness