Respiratory Flashcards
What scale do you use to grade breathlessness?
MRC dyspnoea scale
1: Not troubled by breathlessness except on strenous exercise
2: SOB when hurrying or walking up a slight hill
3: Walks slower than contempories on level ground because of breathlessness
4: Stops for breath after walking about 100m or a few mins
5: Too breathless to leave the house, at rest
What investigations might you perform in somebody with possible COPD?
Bloods- anaemia, polycythaemia, low albumin
ABG
Sputum culture
alpha 1 antitrypsin level
Lung function tests FEV1/FVC <70%, FEV1 <80%, minimal reversibility
CXR: flattened hemidiapraghm, bullae, cardiomegaly in cor pulmonale
CT
HRCT used to grade and classify emphysema
ECG
What treatments are available to help patients stop smoking?
Behavioural treatment: 5 As Ask about tobacco use Advise to quit Assess willingness to quit Assist in quit attempt Arrange follow up
Nicotine replacment: gum, patch, inhalers
Buproprion: norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor and nicotinic antagonist, start 1-2 weeks before stop day. C/I in epilepsy, pregnancy, breast feeding
Varenicline: nicotic partial receptor agonist, start 1 week before stop date. Nausea, headache insomnia, usual dreams. Caution risk of suicide
What are the treatment options in COPD?
Non-pharmacological
- pulmonary rehabilitation: MDT approach, if MRC grade 3+
- optimise nutrition
- vaccination- influenza, pneumococcal
Pharmacological
New GOLD guidelines
Group A (MRC 0-1, 0-1 exacerbations, no admissions)
- Bronchodilator
Group B (MRC >2, 0-1 exacerbations, no admissions)
- LABA or LAMA
- LABA + LAMA
Group C (MRC 0-1, >2 exacerbations or hospital admiss)
- LAMA
- LAMA+ LABA or LABA +ICS
Group D (MRC >2, >2 exacerbations or hospital admiss)
- LAMA
- LAMA + LABA
- LAMA + LABA + ICS
- consider macrolide in former smokers
- consider roflumilast
What are the NICE guidelines for treatment of COPD?
FEV1 > 50%
- LABA or LAMA
- then LABA + ICS
- then LAMA+ LABA + ICS
FEV1 <50%
- LABA + ICS or LAMA
then LAMA + LABA + ICS
When do you qualify for LTOT?
PaO2 <7.3 kPA or
PaO2 <8.0 kPA + secondary polycythaemia, noctural hypoxaemia, cor pulmonale or pul.htn
Describe the role of surgery in COPD
Lung volume reduction surgery
- Symptomatic despite max medical therapy + pul.rehab
- FEV1 <20% predicted, PCO2 <7.3kPA, TLCO >20% prediced
- must have predominantly upper lobe emphysema
- can improve exercise capacity
Bullectomy
- if bullae >1/3 of hemithorax
- can improve lung function, elastic recoil
Lung transplant
- can improve functional capacity
- strick guidelines for referral: FEV1 <25%, resting hypoxaemia + hypercapnia, pul.htn, accelerated decline FEV1
What causes an acute exacerbation of COPD?
Infection 60%
- virus- rhinovirus, influenza, parainfluexna, cornavirus
- Bacteria: Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Strep pneumoniae
- Pollution
- Unknown
How are infective exacerbations treated?
- controlled oxygen therapy
- Short acting beta agonists +/- short acting anti-cholinergics
- PO corticosteroids for 5-7 days
- Antibiotics
- NIV
( should not use aminophylline)
What is NIV and when would you use it in COPD?
Bilevel positive airway pressure provides pressure support with a higher inspiratory positive pressure than expiratory.
Indications
- pH <7.35 despite optimal medical therapy and controlled oxygen
- consent to treatment
Contraindications
- life threatening hypoxaemia
- confusion
- vomiting
- facial injury
- inability to protect own airway
- upper GI surgery
- undrained pneumothorax
How does CPAP differ from BiPAP?
CPAP maintains same pressure support throughout breathing cycle, splinting open the upper airways and recruiting collapsed alveoli, reducing ventilaiton/perfusion mismatch
Used in treatmetn of acute pul.oedema, OSA, T1RF
What is the CURB score?
Confusion Urea >7 RR >30 BP <90 systolic, <60 diastolic Age >65
Score 2= 3% 30 day mortality
3-5 17-57% 30 day mortality
Name the common community acquired pathogens in CAP?
Strep pneumoniae
Haemophilis influenzae: most common in COPD
Mycoplasma pneumoniae: Cold IgM agglutins- haemolytic anaemia, erythema multiforme, GBS, pericarditis, Hepatitis, GN
Chlymydophilia pneumonia: Q fever
Legionella: flu like symptoms, fever, dry cough, bradycardia, confusion, lymphopenia, hyponatraemia, deranged LFTs
Staph aureus: assoc influenza
Moraxella catarrhalis: assoc COPD
Viruses: influenza A+ B
Describe the treatment of CAP
Antibiotics: CURB score low amox, moderate pen+ macrolide
Physio
IVF if fluid depletion
Oxygen
Repeat CXR 6 weeks
Prevention: vaccination for high risk groups
Define hospital acquired pneumonia and what are the likely pathogens?
Occurs >72hrs after admission
Gram negative bacilli, pseudomonas, anaerobes
What is bronchiectasis?
Abnormal permanent dilatation and destruction of bronchi caused by a combination of infection, impaired drainage, airway obstruction +/- defective host response
What are the respiratory causes of clubbing?
ABCDEF Abcess or Asbestosis Bronchiectasis Cystic Fibrosis Dirty tumours (bronchogenic ca) Empyema Fibrosing alveolitis (IPF)
What are the causes of clubbing and crackles?
FAB
Fibrosing alveolitis (IPF)
Asbestosis
Bronchiectasis, bronchogenic carcinoma
What investigations might you do in somebody who you suspect bronchiectasis?
Sputum MCS, AFB, cytology FBC Serum immunoglobulins Alpha-1 antitrypsin Aspergillus precipitans and serum IgA CXR HRCT: high sensitivity and specificity Lung function tests: obstructive Flexible bronchoscopy- rarely needed Specific test- CF sweat test, Kartageners syndrome ( nasal brushings and EM, TB - IGRA
Describe the findings on CXR and CT of a patient with bronchiectasis?
CXR
- tramlines and ring shadows due to dilated thickened airways
- Bronchoceles- mucus plugging
- Hyperinflation
- Honeycomb pattern in severe cases
HRCT
- Bronchial thickening and diltation seen as tram tracking parallel or ring shadowns side on
- Signet ring sign- dilated bronchi >1.5x larger than adjacet pul.artery
- pus/fluid levels
- lack of normal tapering of bronchi seen within 1cm pleura
What are the causes of bronchiectasis?
Congenital
- CF
- Youngs syndrome
- Kartegeners syndrome
- Yellow nail syndrome- lyphoedema, pleural effusion
Mechanical
- Bronchial obstruction- foreign body, carcinoma, granuloma (sarcoid/TB), enlarged LN (TB
Childhood infection- whooping cough, measles, TB
Overactive immune response- ABPA
Underactive immune response: hypogammaglobulinaemia, HIV, leukaemia
Chemical injury: recurrent aspiration
Other resp diseases: fibrosis- traction bronchiectasis, COPD
What is the management of bronchiectasis?
General measures
- Education of patient and family
- optimise nutrition- CF needs pancreatic supplementation and fat soluble vitamins
- smoking cessation
- vaccinations
- respiratory physio- postural drainage, chest percussion, controlled breathing
- devices- acapella device- oscillating PEP
Medical treatments
- antibiotics
- prophylactic antibiotics- less evidence, azithromycin +/- tobramycin neb (pseudomonas)
- bronchodilators
- steroids
- mucolyitics
Transplantation in CF
Immunoglobulins in hypogammaglobulinaemia
What is the pathogenesis of CF
AR
Defect in CFTR gene (CF transmembrane conductance regulator protein) located on chromosome 7.
Over 1250 mutations, most common delta F508
1/2000-3000 live births
CTFR protein in all exocrine tissues
Prevents chloride moving out of cells -> Na hyperabsorption occuring to keep intracellular electrochemical balance -> osmotic pull of water into cells -> dehydration extracellular surfaces -> thick viscous secretions easiily ameanable to colonisation and infection
What systems are affected in CF?
GI
- pancreatic enzyme insuffiency- malabsorption of fat and protein
- diabetes
- meconium ileus in newborns
- focal biliary cirrhosis leading to portal hypertension
- cholelthiasis
Reproductive
- male subfertility due to defective sperm transport
MSK_ osteoporosis
ENT- sinus disease and nasal polyps
What organisms commonly colonise the resp tract of CF patients?
Haemophilus influenzae
Staph aureus
Pseudomonas
Burkholderia cepacia- less common but assoc with accelerated decline
What is the prognosis in CF
Median survival 32 yrs but improving
What are the main complications of bronchiectasis
Pulmonary
- recurrent infections
- haemoptysis
- empyema/abcess
- cor pulmonale
Extrapulmonary
- anaemia
- mets infection eg cerebral abcess
- secondary amyloidosis
What other conditions are known to be assoc with bronchiectasis?
- connective tissue diseasees eg RA
- chronic sinusitis
- iIBD
- Marfans
What are the major pathogens assoc with bronchiectasis?
Pseudomonas aeriuginosa
Haemophilis influenzae
Less common strep
What are the complications of previous TB?
- apical fibrosis
- Bronchiectasis due to LN obstruction causing distal bronchial dilatation, bronchial stenosis and secondary lung fibrosis (traction)
- Aspergilloma in old TB cavity
- Pleural effusion or thickening
What surgeries used to be performed to treat TB?
Based on theory that inducing lobar collapse would starve organism of oxygen (untrue)
Thoracoplasty: ribs resected to reduce intrathoracic volume
Phrenic nerve crush: nerve was crushed to paralyse the diarphragm on that side
Plombage: an inert substance eg wax, gauze was inserted into lung compressing it
What investigations would you perform on somebody with possible TB?
Sputum for ziehl-neelson straining- 3 early morning AFB
Mantoux test (tuberculin skin test) if immunosuppressed can be falsely negative
Interferon gamma release assay (Quantiferon)- measures interferon gamma released by antigen-specific T cells in response to peptides derived from mycobacterium TB
- HIV
-CXR: hilar or paratracheal adenopathy, pul.infiltrates, pul.nodules, consolidation, cavitation
- CT scan- consolidation, caviation, nodules, ground glass opacities, miliary nodules
- Bronchoscopy
- Biopsy LNs
What are the risk factors for active pulmonary TB infection?
- place of birth
- Age
- HIV/Aids
- Homelessness
- Previous prison stays
- sex workers
- co-morbidities- diabetes, renal disease, malignancy
- immunosuppresants- steroids, chemotherapy