Respiratory Flashcards
What findings on spirometry are associated with a restrictive deficit?
FEV1 - reduced
FVC - significantly reduced
FEV1/FVC - normal or increased
What findings on spirometry are associated with an obstructive deficit?
FEV1 - significantly reduced
FVC - reduced or normal
FEV1/FVC - reduced
Normal/raised total gas transfer with raised transfer coefficient indicates what diganosis?
Asthma
What advice should be given regarding inhaler technique?
- Remove cap and shake
- Breathe out gently
- Put mouthpiece in mouth and as you begin to breathe in, which should be slow and deep, press canister down and continue to inhale steadily and deeply
- Hold breath for 10 seconds, or as long as is comfortable
- For a second dose wait for approximately 30 seconds before repeating steps 1-4
What is the first line management of COPD?
Start SABA or SAMA, if uncontrolled add:
If no asthamatic features: LABA + LAMA
If asthmatic features: consider LABA + ICS
Patient with COPD on LABA + LAMA, has symptoms impacting QOL. What do you prescribe next?
Consider 3 month trail of LABA + LAMA + ICS
If no improvement, revert to LABA + LAMA
Patient with COPD on LABA + LAMA, has 1 severe or 2 moderate exacerbations within a year. What do you prescribe next?
Consider LABA + LAMA + ICS
Patient with COPD on LABA + ICS has symptoms impacting QOL or one severe/two moderate exacerbations in a year. What do you prescribe next?
LABA + LAMA + ICS
Give an example of a LAMA
Tiotropium
What are the indications for corticosteroid treatment for sarcoidosis?
Parenchymal lung disease, uveitis, hypercalcaemia, neurological or cardiac involvement, deterioration (PFTs or CXR changes)
What are the asthmatic features/features suggesting steroid responsiveness in COPD?
- Previous diagnosis of asthma or atopy
- A higher blood eosinophil count
- Substantial variation in FEV1 over time (at least 400 ml)
- Substantial diurnal variation in peak expiratory flow (at least 20%)
Give an example of a LABA
Salmeterol
Give an example of an inhaled corticosteroid
Beclomethasone
Name a drug used in smoking cessation that is contraindicated in epilepsy
Bupropion
What are the common causes of upper lobe pulmonary fibrosis?
- C- Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis
- H - Histiocytosis/ hypersensitivity pneumonitis
- A - Ankylosing spondylitis
- R - Radiation
- T - Tuberculosis
- S - Silicosis/sarcoidosis
What ABG result is seen in DKA?
Metabolic acidosis with increased anion gap
What are the features of moderate asthma?
- PEFR 50-75% best or predicted
- Speech normal
- RR < 25 / min
- Pulse < 110 bpm
What are the features of severe asthma?
- PEFR 33 - 50% best or predicted
- Can’t complete sentences
- RR > 25/min
- Pulse > 110 bpm
What are the features of life-threatening asthma?
- PEFR < 33% best or predicted
- Oxygen sats < 92%
- ‘Normal’ pC02 (4.6-6.0 kPa)
- Silent chest, cyanosis or feeble respiratory effort
- Bradycardia, dysrhythmia or hypotension
- Exhaustion, confusion or coma
What are the features of near-fatal asthma?
Raised pC02 and/or requiring mechanical ventilation with raised inflation pressures
How would you confirm a chest dain is located in the pleural cavity?
The water seal rises on inspiration and falls on expiration
Fine end-inspiratory crepitations are seen what condition?
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
How would you manage a patient with acute asthma who does not respond to full medical treatment and is becoming acidotic?
Intubation and ventilation
What is the protein level in an exudative pleural effusion?
Over 30 g/L
What is the protein level in an transudative pleural effusion?
Less than 30 g/L
What is Light’s criteria?
If the protein level is between 25-35 g/L, Light’s criteria should be applied.
An exudate is likely if at least one of the following criteria are met:
- Pleural fluid protein divided by serum protein >0.5
- Pleural fluid LDH divided by serum LDH >0.6
- Pleural fluid LDH more than two-thirds the upper limits of normal serum LDH
What is the first line management for acute bronchitis in an adult?
Doxycycline
What is the first line management for acute bronchitis in pregnant women and young people aged 12-17?
Amoxicillin
A 32-year-old woman attends her general practice for a routine asthma review. She has had no acute exacerbations in the past 3 years and has reported not using her blue reliever inhaler for the past 6 months.
She has currently prescribed salbutamol as required and a once-daily Seretide 500/50 (fluticasone propionate/salmeterol).
The asthma nurse is considering beginning to step down her treatment.
What is the most appropriate prescription today?
As required salbutamol and Seretide 250/50
In the step-down treatment of asthma, aim for a reduction of 25-50% in the dose of inhaled corticosteroids
What are the causes of lower lobe fibrosis?
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- Most connective tissue disorders (except ankylosing spondylitis) e.g. SLE
- Drug-induced: amiodarone, bleomycin, methotrexate
- Asbestosis
How should patients with ARDS who are being ventilated be positioned?
Prone positioning
What is the main finding on the film?
Right upper lobe consolidation
Abnormal opacity within the right upper lobe abutting the horizontal fissure
What is the main finding on the x-ray?
Left lingula consolidation
What is the main finding on the x-ray?
Pleural plaques
What is the most appropriate initial management?
Pleural aspiration
To guide further management and determine the aetiology of the effusion
What is the treatment of choice for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis?
Oral glucocorticoids
What is Meig’s syndrome?
Benign ovarian tumour, ascites, and pleural effusion
Where should the tip of the NG tube be?
Below the diagphragm in the stomach
What PEF is required for safe discharge following an acute asthma attack?
> 75 of best or predicted
When should you consider antibiotic therapy for patients with acute bronchitis?
- 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)
What results on spirometry are indicative of stage 1 COPD?
< 0.7 post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC
FEV1 > 80% of predicted
Symptoms should also be present
What patients with COPD should be offered LTOT?
pO2 of < 7.3 kPa or to those with a pO2 of 7.3 - 8 kPa and one of the following:
- Secondary polycythaemia
- Peripheral oedema
- Pulmonary hypertension
What are the ‘gold standard’ investigations required to confirm asthma in adults?
FeNO test and spirometry with reversibility
What are the high-risk characteristics that determine the need for a chest drain in a pneumothorax?
- Haemodynamic compromise
(suggesting a tension pneumothorax) - Significant hypoxia
- Bilateral pneumothorax
- Underlying lung disease
- ≥ 50 years of age with significant smoking history
- Haemothorax
When should NIV be considered in patients with an acute exacerbation of COPD?
Respiratory acidosis (PaCO2>6kPa, pH <7.35 ≥7.26) persists despite immediate maximum standard medical treatment
Which patient group with pneumonia can be managed in the community with oral antibiotics?
Patients whos CRB-65 is 0
Describe the presentation of ARDS
- Acute onset within the past day, on the background of a known risk factor (pneumonia)
- Bilateral pulmonary oedema (crackles, x-ray changes)
- Hypoxia despite oxygen therapy
What are the causes of a transudate pleural effusion?
- Heart failure (most common transudate cause)
- Hypoalbuminaemia
- Liver disease
- Nephrotic syndrome
- Malabsorption
- Hypothyroidism
- Meigs’ syndrome
What are the causes of an exudate pleural effusion?
- Infection - pneumonia, TB, tubprenic abscess
- CTD - RA, SLE
- Neoplasia - lung cancer, mesothelioma, mets
- Pancreatitis
- PE
- Dressler’s syndrome
COPD - still breathless despite using SABA/SAMA and asthma/steroid responsive features.
What do you add next?
LABA + ICS
How do you diagnose a mesothelioma?
Histology, following a thoracoscopy
A 24-year-old male is admitted with acute severe asthma. Treatment is initiated with 100% oxygen, nebulised salbutamol and ipratropium bromide nebulisers and IV hydrocortisone. Despite initial treatment there is no improvement. What is the next step in management?
IV magnesium sulphate
Cavitating lesions in the lungs on CXR is associated with what type of lung cancer?
Squamous cell carcinoma