Respiratory Flashcards
What causes retractions in patients with upper airway obstruction
Extra effort to take inspiration
Decreased in trattoria is pressure during inspiration
rebased effort of breathing
What is the cause of an asthma attack ?
Smooth muscle contraction
Bronchial membrane thickening
Increased mucus secretions
What are some possible causes of toxicity in some patients with COPD
Haldane effect, resulting increasing co2 release from haemoglobin in presence of additional oxygen
Abnormal redistribution of blood resulting in diversion of blood to less oxygenated areas
Direct decrease of respiration, as oxygen hypoxia drive (controlling respiration ) is lost if additional oxygen is administered
Fluid flow can either be laminar or turbulent, explain turbulent in the case of stridor
If a flow through a pipe becomes chaotic or turbulent it impairs the ability to transfer gas across and ventilation becomes impaired
One of the most common causes of stridor in children in viral Laryngotracheabromchitis or croup
Can you guess from the disease name the parts of the respiratory tract that is being effected ?
Larynx, trachea and bronchi is
Why do you think adults will not develop group?
Airway in adults is much wider diameter and is unlikely to cause turbulent flow
If a child presents with a 1-4 day history of non specific cough, rhinorrhoea and fever progressing to a barking cough and hoarseness what could this be ?
Croup
What are retractions ?
As diaphragm has to work extra hard this becomes more visible, causing subcostal recessions
Why is it important not to disturb the child with croup
Distress ca worsen airway compromise
What would be a type of treatment for croup ?
How do they work ?
Adrenaline nebulisers and corticosteroids
Designed to increase the diameter of the airway and improved flow
What age children usually get croup ?
When are symptoms for croup usually worse ?
Between 6 months and 6 years
Usually worse at night
When do you hear inspiratory stridor ?
During inspiration, occurs when there is an obstruction in the upper airways, patient is struggling to get breath in
When do here an expiratory wheeze and what does it indicate ?
Expiration
Patient is struggling to breath out as air is trapped in the lungs
Often seen in asthma
What is the genetic predispositions that makes some people more likely to develop COPD ?
Alpha-1- antitrypsin deficiency
In patients with chronic retaining co2 you may have heard how high concentrations of oxygen can cause a lot of harm but what is causing this ?
COPD patients have disease lungs and over time their bodies
have carefully allocated perfusion to parts of the lungs that work and away from parts that don’t.Administering extra oxygen is messing with this balance.
It is believed that when a patient has chronically elevated CO2, that CO2 levels stop being the drive to breath and that low oxygen levels become the main drive to breath
What is the treatment for COPD
Bronchodilator
Vaccines to prevent pneumonia and flu
Anti inflammatory medications
Rehabilitation programmes
Antibiotics
Supplementary oxygen ( if required)
Expectorants to cough out mucus easily
Antivirals
Lueokotriene modifiers that aid in boosting air flow
Anti choline rice that help in clearing mucus from a persons lungs
