Respiratory Flashcards
What clinical signs are associated with Pulmonary Fibrosis?
- Clubbing
- Central cyanosis
- Tachypnoea
- Fine end-inspiratory crackles (like Velcro which do not change with coughing
- Signs associated with autoimmune diseases e.g. rheumatoid arthritis (hands), SLE and systemic sclerosis (face and hands)
- Signs of treatment e.g. Cushingoid from steroids
- Discoloured skin (grey) - amiodarone
What investigations would you request in someone who is suspected of having pulmonary fibrosis?
- Bloods: ESR, Rheumatoid factor and ANA
- CXR: reticulonodular changes, loss of definition of heart border, small lungs
- ABG: type 1 resp failure
- Pulmonary Function Tests: FEV1/FVC ratio >0.8 (restrictive) and low TLC (small lungs). Reduced TLco and Kco
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage: main indication is to exclude infection prior to immunosuppressants plus if lymphocytes>neutrophils indicate a better response to steroids and a better prognosis (sarcoidosis)
- High-res CT - distribution helps with diagnosis; bibasal subpleural honeycombing typical of UIP; widespread groundglass shadowing more likely to be non-specific interstitial pneumonia often associated with autoimmune disease; if apical in distribution then think of sarcoid ABPA, old TB, hypersensitivity pneumonitia, Langerhan’s cell histiocytosis.
- Lung Biopsy
How is Pulmonary Fibrosis treated?
- Immunosuppression if likely to be inflammatory
- Pirfenidone (an anti-fibrotic agent) - for UIP when FEV1 50-80% predicted
- N-acetyl cysteine - free radical scavenger
- Single lung transplant - lung transplant patients can present with unilateral fine crackles and contralateral thoracotomy scar with normal breath sounds.
What is the prognosis of Pulmonary Fibrosis?
- Very variable - depends on aetiology
- Highly cellular with ground glass infiltrate - responds to immunosuppression: 80% 5 year survival
- Honeycombing CT - no response to immunosuppression - 80% 5-year mortality
- There is an increased risk of bronchogenic carcinoma
Name some causes of Basal Fibrosis.
- Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP)
- Asbestosis
- Connective Tissue Diseases (except Ank Spond)
- Asbestosis
- Aspiration
- Drug induced: Amiodarone, Bleomycin, Methotrexate
Name some ccauses of upper zone fibrosis.
- Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (also known as extrinsic allergic alveolitis)
- Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis
- Silicosis
- Sarcoidosis
- Ank Spond
- Histiocytosis
- Tuberculosis
- Radiation-induced Pulmonary Fibrosis - may develop following radiotherapy for breast or lung cancer. Typically seen between 6-12 months post-radiotherapy course
Name some clinical signs of Bronchiectasis
- Cachexia
- Tachypnoea
- Finger Clubbing
- Mixed character crackles that alter with coughing. Occasional squeaks and wheeze. Sputum +++
- Cor Pulmonale - ankle swelling, raised JVP, RV heave, loud P2
- Yellow nail syndrome- yellow nails and lymphoedema
What investigations would you want in someone with suspected Bronchiectasis?
- Sputum culture and cytology
- CXR - tramlines and ringshadows
- High-res CT - ‘signet ring’ sign (thickened, dilated bronchi larger than the adjacent vascular bundle)
- Immunoglobulins: hypogammaglobulinaemia (esp IgG2 and IgA)
- Aspergillus RAST or skin prick testing: ABPA (upper lobe)
- Rheumatoid serology
- Saccharine ciliary motility test: Kartageners
- Genetic screening: cystic fibrosis
- History of IBD
Name some causes of Bronchiectasis.
- Congenital: Kartagener’s and Cystic Fibrosis
- Childhood infections: Measles and TB
- Immune OVER activity: allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), inflammatory bowel disease associated
- Immune UNDER activity - hypogammaglobulinaemia, Common variable immunodeficiency
- Aspiration: chronic alcoholics and GORD; localised to RLL.
How do we treat Bronchiectasis?
- Physiotherapy - active cycle breathing
- Prompt antibiotic therapy for exacerbations
- Long-term treatment with low dose azithromycin three times per week
- Bronchodilators/inhaled corticosteroids if there is any airflow obstruction
- Surgery is occasionally used for localised disease
What complications can arise as a result of bronchiectasis?
- Cor Pulmonale
- (Secondary) amyloidosis (dip urine for protein)
- Massive haemoptysis (mycotic aneurysm)
What are the clinical signs of Old TB?
- Chest deformity and absent ribs, thoracoplasty scar
- Tracheal deviation towards the side of the fibrosis (traction)
- Reduced expansion
- Dull percussion but present tactile vocal fremitus
- Crackles and bronchial breathing
Name the side effects of drugs used to treat TB
- Rifampicin - hepatitis and increased contraceptive pill metabolism
- Isoniazid - peripheral neuropathy (Pyridoxine to try and reduce risk) and hepatitis
- Pyrazinamide - hepatitis
- Ethambutol - retro-bulbar neuritis and hepatitis
Prior to under-going treatment patients must have baseline LFTs and visual acuity checked.
Patients must be told:
- Look at the whites of your eyes every morning - if yellow phone TB nurse
- Notice colours - if red becomes less bright than you expect - ring TB nurse
- If you develop tingling in your toes - keep taking tablets and tell doctor at next clinic app
- Your secretions will turn orange/red. This is because of a dye in the tablet. If you wear contacts they will become permanently stained and should not be worn
- If you are on the OCP, it may fail. Use barrier protection.
Name some clinical signs of a lobectomy.
- Reduced expansion and chest wall deformity
- Thoracotomy scar: same for either upper or lower lobe
- Trachea is central
- Lower lobectomy: dull percussion note over lower zone with absent breath sounds
- Upper lobectomy: may have normal examination or may have a hyper-resonant percussion note over the upper zone with a dull percussion note at the base where the hemidiaphragm is elevated slightly
What investigations would you order for a patient with a suspected lobectomy?
- CXR - maybe no overt abnormality apparent other than slight raised hemidiaphragm. In health, the R hemidiaphragm should be higher than the L.
- CT Chest - loss of a lobe with associated truncation of bronchus or pulmonary vessels
What clinical signs can be seen in a patient following a pneumonectomy?
- Thoracotomy scar (indistinguishable from thoracotomy scar performed for a lobectomy)
- Reduced expansion on side of pneumonectomy
- Trachea deviated towards the side of the pneumonectomy
- Dull percussion note throughout hemithorax
- Absent tactile vocal fremitus beneath the thoracotomy scar
- Bronchial breathing in the upper zone with reduced breath sounds throughout the remainder of the hemithorax (bronchial breathing is due to transmitted sound from the major airways)
What investigations would you order for a patient with a suspected pneumonectomy?
- CXR - complete white out on side of pneumonectomy. Pneumonectomy space fills with gelatinous material within a few weeks of the operation
What clinical signs would you see in a patient with a suspected Lung Transplant?
- Thoracotomy scar
- Normal exam on side of scar; may have clinical signs on opposite hemithorax
- Double lung transplant: clamshell incision - from the one axilla along the line of the lower ribs up to the xiphisternum to the other axilla.
Name some indications for lung transplant.
- Dry conditions: COPD, Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Wet Conditions: CF, Bronchiectasis or Pulmonary Hypertension
Name some clinical signs associated with COPD
- Inspection: nebulisers/inhalers/sputum pot/dyspnoea/central cyanosis/pursed lips
- CO2 retention flap, bounding pulse and tar-stained fingers
- Hyper-expanded
- Percussion note resonant with loss of cardiac dullness
- Expiratory polyphonic wheeze (crackles if consolidation too) and reduced breath sounds at apices
- Cor Pulmonale - raised JVP, ankle oedema, RV heave, loud P2 with pansystolic murmur of tricuspid regurgitation
- COPD does not cause clubbing therefore, if present consider bronchial carcinoma or bronchiectasis
What are the causes of COPD?
- Environmental: smoking and industrial dust exposure (apical disease)
- Genetic: alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency (basal disease)
What investigations would you order for a patient with suspected COPD?
- CXR: hyper-expanded lungs and/or pneumothorax
- ABG: type II resp failure
- Bloods: high WCC (infection), low alpha1-anti-trypsin (younger patients/FHx), low albumin (severity)
- Spirometry: low FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio <0.7
- Gas transfer - low TLCO
What medical treatments can be considered in COPD?
Depends on severity
- Smoking cessation is the single most beneficial management strategy
- Cessation clinics and nicotine replacement therapy
- LTOT
- Pulmonary rehab
- Mild (FEV1>80) - beta-agonists
- Moderate (FEV1 <60%) - tiotropium and beta-agonists
- Severe (FEV1<40%) or frequent exacerbations - above plus inhaled corticosteroids although avoid if patient has ever had an episode of pneumonia
- Exercise
- Nutrition (often malnourished)
- Vaccinations - pneumococcal and influenza
What surigcal treatments can be considered in COPD?
- Bullectomy (if bullae >1L and compresses surrounding lung)
- Endobronchial valve replacement
- Lung reduction surgery - only suitable for a few patients with heterogeneous distribution of emphysema
- Single lung transplant
What are the criteria for LTOT?
- Non-smoker
- PaO2 <7.3kPa on air
- PaCO2 that does not rise excessively on O2
- If evidence of cor pulmonale, PaO2 <8kPa
- 2-4L/min via nasal prongs for at least 15 hours a day
- Improves average survival by 9 months
How would you treat an acute exacerbation of COPD?
- Controlled O2 via Venturi mask monitored closely
- Bronchodilators
- Antibiotics
- Steroids for 5 days
What are the DDx for a wheezy chest?
- Granulomatous polyarteritis (previously Wegener’s): saddle nose, obliterative bronchiolitis
- Rheumatoid arthritis: wheeze secondary to obliterative bronchiolitis
- Post-lung transplant: obliterative bronchiolitis as part of chronic rejection spectrum
- IECOPD
- Asthma
What are the clinical signs of a pleural effusion?
- Asymmetrically reduced expansion
- Trachea or mediastinum displaced away from side of effusion
- Stony dull percussion note
- Absent tactile vocal fremitus
- Reduced breath sounds
- Bronchial breathing above (aegophony)
- Cancer: clubbing, lymphadenopathy, mastectomy
- Congestive cardiac failure: raised JVP, peripheral oedema
- Chronic liver disease: leuconychia, spider naevi, gynaecomastia
- Chronic renal failure: arteriovenous fistula
- Connective Tissue Disease: Rheumatoid hands, butterfly rash of SLE
Name some common causes of a dull lung base.
- Consolidation: bronchial breathing and crackles
- Collapse: tracheal deviation towards the side of the collapse and reduced breath sounds
- Previous lobectomy - reduced lung volume
- Pleural thickening - signs are similar to a pleural effusion but with normal tactile vocal fremitus, may have 3 scars suggested of previous VATS pleurodesis
- Raised hemidiaphragm +/- hepatomegaly
What causes a pleural transudate and exudate?
Transudate (<30g/L):
- Congestive cardiac failure
- Chronic renal failure
- Chronic liver failure
Exudate (>30g/L):
- Primary or secondary neoplasm
- Infection
- Infarction
- Inflammation
What would pleural fluid analysis show if the patient had an empyema?
Exudate with a low glucose and pH <7.2
What is an empyema?
A collection of pus within the pleural space. Most frequent organisms involved includes anaerobes, staphylococci and gram-negative organisms. It is associated with bronchial obstruction, e.g. carcinoma, with recurrent aspiration; poor dentition; alcohol dependence.
How do you treat an empyema?
- Pleural drainage and IV antibiotics
- Surgical decortication
Name some clinical signs of Lung Cancer.
- Cachectic
- Clubbing and tar-stained fingers
- Lymphadenopathy: cervical and axillary
- Tracheal deviation: towards (collapse) or away (effusion) from the lesion
- Reduced expansion
- Percussion note dull (collapse/consolidation) or stony dull (effusion)
- Absent tactile vocal fremitus (effusion); increased vocal resonance (collapse/consolidation)
- Auscultation: crackles and bronchial breathing (consolidation/collapse) or reduced breath sounds, absent tactile fremitus (effusion)
- Hepatomegaly or bony tenderness suggesting mets
- Treatment: lobectomy scar, sqaure burn and tattoo if radiotherapy
What complications that arise from Lung Cancer can be seen as clinical signs?
- Superior vena caval obstruction: suffused and oedematous face and upper limbs, dilated superficial chest veins and stridor
- Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy: hoarse with a ‘bovine’ cough
- Horner’s sign and wasted small muscles of the hand (T1): Pancoast’s tumour
- Endocrine: gynaecomastia (ectopic beta hCG)
- Neurological: Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, proximal myopathy and paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration
- Dermatological: dermatomyositis (heliotrope rash on eyelids and purple papules on knuckles (Gottron’s papules associated with a raised CK) and acanthosis nigricans
What different types of Lung Cancer are there?
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Small cell carcinoma
- Adenocarcinoma
- Large cell carcinoma
- Alveolar carcinoma
How are patient’s with Lung Cancer managed?
- Diagnosis of a mass
- CXR: collapse, mass and hilar lymphadenopathy
- Volume acquisition CT Thorax (so small tumours are not lost between slices) with contrast - Determine cell type
- Induced sputum cytology
- Biopsy by bronchoscopy (central lesion and collapse) or percutaneous needle CT guided (peripheral lesion; FEV1>1L) - Stage (CT/Bronchoscopy/EBUS/Mediastinoscopy/thoracoscopy/PET)
- NSCLC: TNM staging to assess operability
- Small cell carcinoma (SCLC): limited or extensive disease - Lung function tests for operability assessment:
- Pneumonectomy contraindicated if FEV1 <1.2L - Complications of the tumour:
- Mets: deranged LFTs, raised calcium, anaemia
- NSCLC: raised PTHrP and elevated calcium
- SCLC: raised ACTH, SIADH and hyponatraemia
What treatment options are available in Lung cancer?
NSCLC:
- Surgery: Lobectomy or pneumonectomy
- Radiotherapy: single fractionation (weekly) versus hyper-fractionation (daily for 10 days)
- Chemotherapy: benefit unknown, EGFR positve - erlotinib
SCLC:
- Chemotherapy: benefit with 6 courses
Name some clinical signs of cystic fibrosis
- Inspection: small stature, clubbed fingers, tachypnoeic, sputum pot (purulent+++)
- Hyperinflated with reduced chest expansion
- Coarse crackles and wheeze (bronchiectatic)
- Portex reservoir (Portacath) under the skin or Hickmann line/scars for long-term antibiotics plus PEG for malabsorption
What genetic changes occur in cystic fibrosis?
- Autosomal recessive chromosome 7q
- Gene encodes for CFTR (Cl- channel)
- Commonest and most severe mutation is F508 deletion (70%)
Describe the pathophysiology of CF
Secretions are thickened and block the lumens of various structures
- Bronchioles - > bronchiectasis
- Pancreatic ducts -> loss of exocrine and endocrine function
- Gut -> distal intestinal obstruction syndrome (DIOS) in adults
- Seminal vesicles -> male infertilty
- Fallopian tubes -> reduced female fertility
How would you investigate someone with suspected CF
- Screened at birth: low immunoreactive trypsin (heel prick)
- Sweat test: Na+ >60mmol/L (can get a false positive in hypothyroidism and Addison’s)
- Genetic screening
How do you manage patients with CF?
- Physiotherapy - postural drainage and active cycle breathing techniques
- Prompt antibiotics for intercurrent infections
- Pancrease and fat-soluble vitamin supplements
- Mucolytics (DNAse)
- Immunisations
- Double lung transplant (50% survival at 5 years)
- Gene therapy is under development
Poor prognosis if becomes infected with Burkholderia cepacia
Name some clinical signs of pneumonia
- Tachypnoea, O2 mask, sputum pot (rusty sputum associated with pneumococcus)
- Reduced expansion
- Dull percussion note
- Focal coarse crackles, increased vocal resonance and bronchial breathing
- Ask for the temperature chart
- If dull percussion note with absent tactile vocal fremitus, think parapneumonic effusion/empyema
What investigations would you arrange if you suspected a patient had pneumonia?
- CXR - consolidation (air bronchogram), abscess, effusion
- Bloods - WCC, CRP, urea, atypical serology (on admission and at day 10) and immunoglobulins
- Blood cultures
- Sputum cultures
- Urine: legionella antigen (in severe cases), pneumococcal antigen and haemoglobinuria (mycoplasma causes cold agglutinins resulting in haemolysis)
What common organisms cause a CAP?
- Streptococcus pneumoniae (50%)
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae (6%)
- Haemophilus influenzae (esp if COPD)
- Chlamydia pneumoniae
What special considerations should you ave in those who are immunosuppressed with a CAP?
- Fungal - tx with amphotericin
- Multi-resistant mycobacteria
- Pneumocystis carinii - tx with co-trimoxazole/pentamidine
- CMV - tx with ganciclovir
What special considerations should you ave in those who have aspirated with a CAP?
Anaerobes - add in Metronidazole
What special considerations should you ave in those who are post-influenza with a CAP?
Staph aureus - add in flucloxacillin
Outline the severity score for CAP
Confusion
Urea >7
RR >/=30
BP - systolic <90mmHg or diastolic <60mmHg
Age >65 years
What complications can arise from pneumonia?
- Lung Abscess (Staph aureus, Klebsiella, anaerobes)
- Para-pneumonic effusion/empyema
- Haemoptysis
- Septic shock and multi-organ failure
How would you define a moderate asthma exacerbation?
- PEFR 50-75% best or predicted
- Speech normal
- RR <25/min
- Pulse <110bpm
How would you define a severe asthma exacerbation?
- PEFR 33-50% best or predicted
- Can’t complete sentences
- RR >25/min
- Pulse >110bpm
How would you define a life-threatening asthma exacerbation?
- PEFR <33% best or predicted
- O2 sats <92%
- Silent chest, cyanosis or feeble respiratory effort
- Bradycardia, dysarrhythmia or hypotension
- Exhaustion (normal pCO2), confusion or coma
What treatment should be given in exacerbation of asthma?
- O2
- Bronchodilators (SABA)
- Steroids
- Ipratropium bromide (SAMA)
- IV Magnesium Sulphate
- IV aminophylline
- Intubation/Ventilation
- Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
What treatment should be given in exacerbation of COPD?
- O2 - aiming sats 88-92%
- Nebulised SABA/SAMA
- Steroids
- IV theophylline
- NIV - BiPAP - EPAP 4-5cm H2O and IPAP 10cm H2O
Name some causes of ARDS
- Infection: sepsis, pneumonia
- Massive blood transfusion
- Trauma
- Smoke inhalation
- Acute pancreatitis
- COVID 19
- Cardio-pulmonary bypass
What is the criteria to diagnosis ARDS?
American-European Consensus Conference
- Acute onset (within 1 week of a known risk factor)
- Pulmonary oedema: bilateral infiltrates on CXR (not fully explained by effusions, lobar/lung collapse or nodules)
- Non-cardiogenic (pulmonary artery wedge pressure needed if doubt - elevated in ARDS)
- pO2/FiO2 <40kPa (300mmHg)
How do you manage a patient with ARDS?
- Normally in ITU
- Oxygenation snf ventilation to tx hypoxaemia
- General organ support e.g. vasopressors as needed
- Tx of the underlying cause e.g. antibiotics for sepsis
- Certain strategies such as prone positioning and muscle relaxation have been shown to improve outcomes
What is ABPA and name some clinical features associated with it.
Results from an allergy to aspergillus spores. May have a history of bronchiectasis and have a eosinophilia.
Features:
- Bronchoconstriction: wheeze, cough, dyspnoea (may have a previous label of asthma)
- Bronchiectasis (proximal)
What investigations would you arrange in someone with suspected ABPA?
- Bloods - eosinophilia
- Flitting CXR changes
- Positive RAST (radioallergosorbent) test to aspergillus
- Positive IgG precipitans (not as positive as in aspergilloma)
- Raised IgE
How would you treat a patient with ABPA?
- Steroids
- Itraconazole is sometimes used as a second-line agent
What is alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency?
A common inherited condition caused by a lack of protease inhibitor (Pi) normally produced by the liver. The role of A1AT is to protect cells from enzymes such as neutrophil elastase. It classically causes emphysema in patients who are young and non-smokers.