Respiratory Flashcards
Factors to pay particular attention to when localizing respiratory disease
- nasal discharge
- audible sounds other than cough
- cough
- auscultation
- breathing pattern
Stertor helps localize to where
upper airways-particularly pharynx
Stridor helps localize to where?
upper airways, particularly larynx
Vocal changes suggest localization to where?
larynx
Reverse sneezing helps localize disease to where?
upper airways-particularly nasopharynx/pharynx
Normal breathing rates at home and in exam room
at home: 12-18
in exam room: <30
Relatively slow rate for the degree of effort of breathing indicates:
large airway obstruction
Relatively fast rate (>50) indicates what in terms of trying to localize respiratory disease?
pulmonary parenchymal or pleural disease
More difficulty on inspiration + slow rate —> ?
extrathoracic obstruction
More difficulty on inspiration + fast rate –> ?
restrictive disease (loss of compliance, pleural space disease)
More difficulty during expiration –> ?
- intrathroacic obstruction
- intrathoracic large airway obstruction
- small airways (obstructive lung disease)
What are factors to evaluate to help determine the severity of respiratory compromise?
- effort (i.e. open mouth breathing in cats = marked compromise)
- exercise intolerance
- MM color
Compare and contrast how obstructive and restrictive disease may present
Obstructive: rapid rate, increased effort during expiration (listen for wheezes)
Restrictive: rapid rate, relatively increased during inspiration + expiration
What type of presentation is typical of pleural disease?
- decreased sounds on auscultation
- non-localizing signs
- exercise intolerance (i.e. tachypnea, relatively increased effort on inspiration)
Describe how a bronchial pattern looks
- Thickened airways look like railroad tracks or doughnuts
- Bronchiectatic airways are dilated without normal taper
What is an air bronchogram? What pattern does is it seen with?
- stripes without walls
- occurs with alveolar pattern
What causes an alveolar pattern?
overflow of fluid/exudate from the interstitium or airways into the alveoli
Describe a reticular pattern
- ill-defined density
- loss of detail of normal structures
- if mild, may be “normal” aging change
- can be early stage of alveolar or nodular
Types of interstitial patterns
- reticular
- nodular
- reticulonodular
- mass
What does a consolidated lung lobe indicated?
advanced interstitial or alveolar disease
- lung lobe torsion
- neoplasia
- severe, localized bacterial pneumonia
- granuloma
Which lung lobes are “gravity-dependent?”
the L and R cranial lobes and the right middle lobe
What is the purpose of thoracic radiographs for assessing respiratory disease?
- support history and PE findings
- furthur localization within lower respiratory tract
- assessment of severity of disease
- not assoc. with pulmonary function
- assessment of progress
Name four systemic fungal infections that can be detected by serology, and whether antibody or antigen is detected for each
- Blastomycosis: antibody
- Histoplasmosis: antibody
- Coccidioidomycosis: antibody
- crypococcosis: antigen
Besides systemic fungal infections, serolgy is useful to detect what else?
- heartworm
- need antigen and Ab test in cats
- toxoplasmosis (Ab)
- canine influenza (Ab)
Urine tests for fungal antigens are useful for which diseases?
Blasto, Histo
A minimum of how many fecal exams is needed for pulmonary parasites?
3
Respiratory parasite-eggs sink on sedimenation
Paragonimus
Respiratory parasite that can be detected on flotation
Capillaria
Larvae of ___________ are detected by a Baermann
Aelurostrongylus (cats)
Ddx for bronchial patterns
- canine chronic bronchitis (idiopathic)
- feline bronchitis (idiopathic)
- allergic bronchitis
- canine infectious tracheobronchitis
- bacterial infection
- mycoplasma infection
- pulmonary parasites (Aelurostrongylus, Capillaria, Oslerus)
Differentials for alveolar pattern
Pulmonary edema-often peri-hilar or caudo-dorsal distribution
Airway origin pneumonia(often cranioventral dist.)
- bacterial pneumonia
- aspiration pneumonia
Hemorrhage
- pulmonary contusion
- pulmonary thromboembolism
- neoplasia
- fungal pneumonia
- systemic coagulopathy
Differentials for interstitial patterns if also sever inflammation, edema, or hemorrhage
Name some differentials that often cause a nodular interstitial pattern
- blastomycosis
- histoplasmosis
- coccidioidomycosis
- paragonimus
- aelurostrongylus
- neoplasia
- eosinophilic lung dz (reticular, nodular, or both)
- abscess
Name some possible differentials for a reticular interstitial pattern
- mild pulmonary edema
- infectious
- viral pneumonia-canine distemper
- bacterial pneumonia
- protozoal pneumonia
- heartworm dz
- eosinophilic lung disease (can be reticular, nodular, or both)
- idiopathic interstitial pneumonia
- mild hemorrhage
Differentials for a vascular pattern
- Enlarged arteries
- heartworm
- PTE
- pulmonary hypertension
- Enlarged veins
- left-sided HF
- Enlarged arteries and veins
- left to right shunts
- small arteries and veins
- cardiovascular shock
- hypovolemia
- severe dehydration
- blood loss
- hypoadrenocorticism
- pulmonic valve stenosis
- hyperinflation of lungs
- feline bronchitis
- allergic bronchitis
Name forms of specialized radiography that might be indicated for diagnosing respiratory disease and why they are helpful
- Inspiratory neck/expiratory thorax films-for trachea and large airway collapse
- ultrasonography for masses against the body wall
- CT for increased detail and sensitivity
- Angiography, contrast CT, or nuclear imaging for PTE
Considerations for pulmoary specimen collection
- client capabilities/priorities
- top differential diagnoses
- localization within the lung
- risk of procedure balanced with condition of patient
What are the indications for a tracheal wash?
- bronchial and alveolar disease
- bacterial and aspiration pneumonia; chronic cough/bronchitis
- may consider for any lung disease because of safety and availability
Advantages of a trach wash
- simple
- minimal expense
- no special equipment
- complications are rare
- volume is adequate for cytology and culture
Disadvantages of trach wash
representative cells must be present in the large airways
Indications for a transthoracic lung aspiration
- solid masses adjacent to body wall
- diffuse interstitial lung disease
- best for diffuse nodular disease
Advantages of transthoracic lung aspiration
- simple
- minimal expense
- no special equipment needed; though US increases yield and decreases risk
- solid masses adjacet to chest wall: gives an excellent representation with minimal risk
Potential complications with transthoracic lung aspiration
- pneumothorax
- hemothorax
- pulmonary hemorrhage
Disadvantages of transthoracic lung aspiration
- complications
- relatively small area of lung sampled
- specimen only adequate for cytology
- specimen blood contaminated
Bronchoalveolar lavage is indicated for what type of disease?
interstitial
Advantages of NB-BAL
- minimal expertise and expense
- no special equipemtn
- hypoxemia is transiet and responsive to O2 in stable patients
- large volume of lung is sampled
- high quality cytologic specimen
- large volume for analysis
Disadvantages of NB-BAL
- not recommended for animals with increased respiratory effort or other signs of poor oxygenation
- general anesthesia required
- need access to oxygen/ventilation
What is the site of collection for thoracotomy + lung biopsy?
small airways, alveoli, interstitium
What are the advantages of thoracotomy + lung biopsy
- highest quality specimen plus potential for therapeutic benefit with focal disease
- ideal specimen
Indications for thoracotomy and lung biopsy
- localized process where exicsion may be therapeutic as well as diagnostic
- any progressive disease not diagnosed by less invasive means
Thoracotomy + lung biopsy disadvantages
- relatively expensive
- requires expertise
- requires general anesthesia
- major surgical procedure
Summarize approach to patient with lower respiratory tract disease
- localize to lower respiratory tract with history and PE
- critically evaluate thoracic radiographs and CBC for further localization and to prioritize differentials
- perform non-invasive tests as indicated by the list of differential diagnoses (fecal exams, blood tests, specialized radiographic techniques)
- collect pulmonary specimens
- continue to work through options until:
- obtain specific and complete diagnosis OR
- elect to refer OR
- determine that trial treatment is better than more diagnostics