Respiratory Flashcards
Describe/draw the flow volume curves of normal, restrictive and obstructive lung disease
What is restrictive lung disease?
Pulmonary fibrosis that decreases lung volume and increases work of breathing with inadequate ventilation
- Low FEV1
- Low FVC
- Normal FEV1/FVC ratio
Name some causes of restrictive lung disease
- Pneumoconiosis
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- TB
- Chest wall disease (kyphoscoliosis)
- Weak respiratory muscles
- Sarcoidosis
- RA
What is obstructive lung disease?
Narrowing of airways due to excessive smooth muscle contraction
- Normal FVC
- Low FEV1
- Low FEV1/FVC ratio (<0.7)
Name some causes of obstructive lung disease
- Chronic bronchitis
- COPD
- Asthma
- Bronchiectasis
- CF
Describe/draw the spirometry curve of normal, obstructive and restrictive lung disease
What is respiratory failure?
When gas exchange in the lungs is inadequate which results in hypoxia. It is defined as pO2 < 8kPa. Divided into:
- Type 1 - normal or low pCO2
- Type 2 - high pCO2
Name some causes of Type 1 respiratory failure
Mainly ventilation perfusion mismatch
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary oedema
- PE
- Asthma
- Pneumothorax
- Fibrosing alveolitis
- ARDS
Name some causes of Type 2 respiratory failure
Alveolar hypoventilation
- Pulmonary disease - COPD, fibrosis,
- Reduced respiratory drive - Opiates, CNS tumour, trauma
- Neuromuscular disease - Cervical cord lesion, diaphragmatic paralysis, myasthenia gravis
- Thoracic wall disease - flail chest, kyphoscoliosis
Describe the effects of hypoxia (Type 1 and 2 respiratory failure)
- Impaired CNS function
- Confusion
- Agitation
- Dyspnoea
- Restlessness
- Central cyanosis
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Cardiac arrhythmia
Describe the effects of hypercapnia (Type 2 respiratory failure)
- Headache
- Peripheral vasodilation
- Tachycardia
- Bounding pulse
- Tremor/flap
- Papilloedema
- Confusion
- Drowsiness
- Coma
How is respiratory failure investigated?
- Bloods
- FBC
- U&E
- CRP
- ABG
- CXR
- Sputum culture (if febrile)
- Spirometry
How is respiratory failure managed?
- Treat underlying cause
- Airway maintenance
- Clearance of secretions
- Oxygen by face mask
- Assisted ventilation (CPAP/BIPAP) if pO2 < 8 kPa
- Intubation
What is asthma?
A chronic inflammatory disorder characterised by increased responsiveness of the bronchi to various stimuli, causing reversible airway obstruction
- Airway hyperresponsiveness
- Increased mucosal inflammation
- Hypersecretion of mucus
Describe the symptoms of asthma
- Intermittent dyspnoea
- Wheeze
- Cough (often nocturnal)
- Sputum production
- Exercise intolerance
Name some asthma precipitants
- Allergens (pollen, house dust mites, animals)
- Smoke
- Stress
- Exercise
- VIral infections
- Drugs - NSAIDs, aspirin, beta blockers
Name the clinical signs of asthma
- Tachypnoea
- Audible polyphonic wheeze
- Hyper-inflated chest
- Hyper-resonant percussion
- Diminished air entry
How is asthma investigated?
- Peak expiratory flow monitoring
- Obstructive spirometry result
- Improvement of FEV1 by 12% with beta agonist
- CXR
- Skin prick test - identify triggers
- Fractionated exhlaed FeNO test (>40)
- Bronchial provocation - inhalation of increase dose of histamine until FEV1 declines by 20%
Describe the guidelines to treating chronic asthma
- Short acting inhaled B2 agonist
- Add inhaled low dose steroid (beclometasone 100-400microg/12hrs)
- Add leukotriene receptor antagonist (montelukast)
- Add long acting B2 agonist (salmeterol 50microg/12hrs)
- Increase dose of steroids (up to 1000) / oral theophylline / oral B2 agonist / oral leukotriene receptor antagonist
Continue until no daytime symptoms, no limitations on activity, no exacerbations, no night-time awakening and normal lung function
Describe the emergency treatment of acute severe asthma
- Oxygen via non-rebreathe bag (15L)
- Aim for 94-98% sats
- Salbutamol 5mg delivered with oxygen
- Hydrocortisone 100mg IV or prednisolone 30mg PO
- Continue for 5 days
- Add ipatropium bromide 0.5mg nebuliser
- CXR to exclude pneumothorax
- If life-threatening: add magnesium sulphate 1.2-2mg IV over 20 min
- Salbutamol nebulisers every 15 min
Name some ADRs of B2 agonists
- Muscle tremor
- Tachycardia
- Palpitations
- Arrhythmias
- Hypokalaemia
- Headache
What is chronic bronchitis?
Chronic mucosal inflammation, mucus gland hypertrophy and mucus hypersecretion
What is emphysema?
Progressive destruction of the alveolar septa and capillaries producing enlarged spaces (bullae) with decreased compliance and increased collapsibility
What is COPD?
An irreversible expiratory airflow obstruction. hyperinflation, mucus hypersecretion and increased work of breathing. Includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
What signs differentiate COPD with asthma?
- Age of onset > 35
- Smoking related
- Chronic dyspnoea
- Sputum production
- No diurnal variation
What are pink puffers and blue bloaters?
Pink puffers:
- Purse lipped breathing
- Normal PO2 and normal/low CO2
- Barrel chest
- Dyspnoea
Blue bloater:
- Dec alveolar ventilation
- Low PO2 and high PCO2
- Cyanosed but not breathless
- Rely on hypoxic drive
Name some symptoms of COPD
- Cough
- Sputum production
- Dyspnoea
- wheeze
Name some signs of COPD
- Use of accessory muscles
- Hyperinflation
- Dec. expansion
- Resonant on percussion
- Cyanosis
- Cor pulmonale
What are the risk factors for developing COPD?
- Male
- Age > 50
- Smoking
- Asthma
- Childhood chest infections
- Low SES
- A1 anti trypsin deficiency
- Heavy metal exposure
Describe some investigations into COPD
- CXR
- Hyperinflation (>6 ant. ribs seen above diaphragm in mid-clavicular line)
- Flat hemidiaphragm
- Large pulmonary arteries
- ECG - cor pulmonale (hypertrophy)
- ABG - low PO2 +/- high PCO2
- Spirometry - irreversible airway obstruction (FEV1/FVC < 0.7)
Name some complications of COPD
- Acute exacerbations
- Infection
- H influenzae most common in COPD
- Polycythaemia
- Cor pulmonale
- Respiratory failure
- Lung cancer
- Pneumothorax
How is the severity of COPD assessed?
- Mild = FEV1 60-80% predicted
- Moderate = FEV1 40-59% predicted
- Severe = FEV1 < 40% predicted
Describe the guidelines to treating chronic COPD
- Non pharmacological - smoking cessation, regular exercise, diet, flu vaccine
- Pulmonary rehabilitation
- Oxygen therapy
- Long acting inhaled B2 agonists (salmeterol)
- Inhaled steroid if FEV1 < 50%
- Inhaled ipatromium (LAMA)
- Surgery
- Lung volume reduction
- Transplant
Name some side effects of steroids
CUSHINGOID
- Cataracts
- Ulcers
- Skin: striae, bruising, thinning
- Hypertension / hirsutism / hyperglycaemia
- Infections
- Necrosis (avascular necrosis of the femoral head)
- Glycosuria
- Osteoporosis / obesity
- Immunosuppression
- Diabetes
What is cor pulmonale?
Right heart failure caused by chronic pulmonary hypertension
How is pulmonary hypertension investigated?
- Bloods - Hb, ABG, LFTs, autoantibodies, HIV
- CXR
- Enlarged right atrium and ventricle
- Prominent pulmonary artieries
- Parenchymal disease?
- ECG
- RIght axis deviation
- Right ventricular hypertrophy
- Echo
What is sarcoidosis?
Multi system immune deposits characterised by non-caseating granulomas and an abnormal, antigen-triggered CD4 T cell response.
Unknown aetiology.
Name some clinical features of sarcoidosis
- Acute = erythema nodosum, arthralgia, fever, bihilar lymphadenopathy
- Constitutional = fatigue, malaise, weight loss
- Resp = Non productive cough, dyspnoea, pain, decrease exercise tolerance
- Eye = uveitis, conjunctivitis
- Neuro = neuropathy, meningitis
- Cardiac = arrhythmia, heart failure
- Gastro = hepato/splenomegaly
- Renal impairment
How is sarcoidosis diagnosed?
- CXR - bihilar lymphadenopathy, upper lobe fibrosis, pulmonary infiltrates
- Tissue biopsy - non-caseating granuloma
- Bloods - FBC, biochemistry, Ca, LFT, SACE
- Lung function test - normal or restrictive
- Mantoux - exclude TB
- Slit lamp examination
- Bronchoalveolar lavage - Inc lymphocytes
How is sarcoidosis managed?
- Acute - bed rest, NSAIDs
- Steroids (4-6 weeks) if:
- Parenchymal lung disease
- Uveitis
- Hypercalcaemia
- Neuro or cardio involvement
- Immunosuppression (methotrexate, azathioprine, cyclosporin)
- Transplant
Name some differentials for granulomatous diseases
- TB
- Sarcoidosis
- Vasculitis (Wegeners)
- Crohns
- Extrinsic allergic alveolitis
- Syphilis
How can PEs be prevented?
- Compression stockings
- Heparin to all immobile patients
- Stop HRT / OCP
- Investigations for thrombophilia
- Encourage mobilisation
What is interstital lung disease?
Inflammation and/or fibrosis of the pulmonary intersitium caused by inhalation of allergens which provokes a hypersensitivity reaction or is idiopathic.
With chronic exposure, granulomas and obliterative bronchiolitis occur