Respiratory Flashcards
What is asthma?
Chronic inflammation of the airways- the smooth muscles tighten and air is trapped in alveoli
Increased airway hypersensitiveness
Reversible with salbutamol
Obstructive disease
What are the symptoms of asthma?
Wheezing, SOB, chest tightness at night/early morning
What can trigger asthma?
Antigens
Allergens
Smoke/perfumes
What are the problems associated with caring for those with asthma?
- Still causing deaths
- Underprescribing of preventer therapy
- Inappropriate LABA monotherapy- guidelines do not recommend this
- Personal action plans not provided to all patients
How do you diagnose asthma?
- Look at symptoms and age
Lung function test: FEV1/FVC ratio < 70%
Peak expiratory flow- normal calculated score depends on age, height, gender and ethnicity. If this is significantly different, it may be asthma
Reversibility testing- give them salbutamol and see if lung function improves - should be at least 12-20%
What is FEV1?
Volume of air patient is able to exhale in 1st second of expiration
should be 70% of total lung volume
What is FVC?
Total volume of air patient can forcibly exhale in one breath
What is peak expiratory flow?
Person’s max speed of expiration
A patient who is thought to have asthma is given salbutamol in a reversibility test. However, lung function does not improve. What could the patient have?
Irreversible condition e.g. COPD
What are the 7 aims of asthma therapy?
- To control disease
- No daytime symptoms
- No sleep disturbances
- No need for rescue meds
- No exacerbations including infections
- No limitations on activity
- FEV1>80%
What are the BTS/SIGN asthma guidelines?
Should all be on SABA PRN
- Low dose ICS- regular preventer to use every day
- LABA/ICS combo
- If no response to LABA, stop and increase ICS dose OR if response to LABA, use medium dose ICS. If inadequate response, add in 3rd drug - LRTA, LAMA or SR theophylline
Steps 4 and 5 refer to specialist care:
- High dose ICS or add in 4th drug- LRTA, LAMA, SR theophylline or beta agonist tablet.
- Daily steroid oral tablet (lowest dose that controls condition) as well as maintaining high dose ICS. Consider other treatment options to minimise oral steroid tablet use
Theophylline is not used as much in asthma now. Why?
Requires therapeutic drug monitoring due to narrow therapeutic index, and it is hard to get the ideal dose for patients.
When is a review needed for a patient on salbutamol?
If they are using it >QDS regularly
What are the SABA options for asthma patients?
Salbutamol 100 mcg 2 doses PRN up to QDS
Terbutaline turbohaler 500 mcg 1 dose PRN
What type of inhaler is a turbohaler?
DPI
What are the ICS options for asthma patients?
ALL BD doses
Clenil MDI (beclomethasone) 100-200 mcg 2 doses BD
Pulmicort Turbohaler (budesonide) 100-200 mcg 2 doses BD
Flixotide MDI or accuhaler (fluticasone) 50-100 mcg BD
What are the ICS/LABA combination inhalers for asthma patients?
ALL BD doses
- Seretide MDI or accuhaler (fluticasone/salmeterol) 500/50 mcg BD
- Symbicort turbohaler (budesonide/formoterol) BD
- Fostair MDI (beclomethasone/formoterol) MDI 2 doses bd
LABA monotherapy is recommended in asthma. True or false?
False- needs an ICS
Usually in a combo inhaler
What type of inhaler is an accuhaler?
DPI
Seretide MDI is licensed in COPD. True or false?
False- the MDI is only licensed in asthma
Accuhaler is licensed in both
What is a disadvantage of a DPI?
Breath actuated, need to have respiratory effort for it
If not, MDI is more appropriate
What is the only LAMA licensed in asthma?
- Tiotropium bromide Respimat (spiriva) 5mcg OD
Not the capsule one
When are biologics used in asthma?
- Severe, last resort AND patients need to have been adherent to previous treatment
Why are biologics used in asthma?
What is the MOA of mepolizumab?
What is the MOA of reslizumab?
- As allergens get through airway epithelium, it activates IL33 pathway
- Mepolizumab - anti IL5 monoclonal antibody to decrease eosinophil production
- Reslizumab interferes with IL5 binding to decrease activity and survival of eosinophil (WBC)
What is some other management of asthma?
- Self-management plan and rescue pack of corticosteroids and antibiotics
- Peak flow meter to see if lung function is getting worse
- Smoking cessation
- Flu vaccine
- Review therapy every 3-6 months and adherence
- Allergy avoidance
- Weight control
- Inhaler technique
- Asthma control test
How do you use a peak flow meter?
- Stand up and take a deep breath. Hold device horizontally. Make sure the pointer is on zero
- Breath into device hard and fast
- Take reading and repeat 3 times, taking the highest reading