Respiratory Flashcards
Causes of a wet cough?
Acute - infection (bacterial, viral, pertussis)
Subacute (3-8 weeks) - post viral, recovery from pneumonia
Chronic (>8 weeks) - persistent bronchitis, bronchiectasis, immune issues, recurrent aspiration.
Causes of stridor?
Congenital - laryngomalacia, choanal atresia
Acquired -
Infective: Croup, acute epiglottitis, infectious mononucleosis
Non-infective: post-intubation, foreign body, anaphylaxis, hereditary angioedema, inhalation injury, trauma.
Differentials for wheeze?
Asthma LRTI - bronchiolitis Foreign body Cystic fibrosis Primary ciliary dyskinesia Heart failure Bronchopulmonary dysplasia Vocal cord dysfunction External compression
Risk factors for asthma?
Family history of atopy
Antenatal factors - maternal smoking, viral infection during pregnancy
Exposure to cigarette smoke
Low birth weight
Not being breastfed
Exposure to high concentrations of allergens and air pollution.
Features of asthma?
Episodic cough (worse at night), dyspnea, expiatory wheeze, chest tightness
Expiratory wheeze on auscultation, reduced peak expiratory flow rate
Investigations of asthma?
Spirometry:
FEV1 reduced
FVC normal
FEV/FVC ratio <70%
Spirometry with bronchodilator reversibility test
Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) - iNOS levels tend to rise in inflammatory cells/eosinophils.
Management of asthma aged 5-16
SABA
SABA + low dose ICS (beclomethasone)
SABA + low dose ICS + oral LTRA (montelukast)
SABA + low dose ICS + LABA (salmeterol)
SABA + MART regimen - low dose ICS + LABA
SABA + MART - moderate dose ICS + LABA
Speak to asthma specialist, increase doses, trial additional drug.
Management of asthma aged <5
SABA
Trial moderate dose ICS + SABA for 8 weeks:
- if sx don’t resolve - find alternative diagnosis
- if sx resolve but recur >4 weeks of stopping trial - repeat trial
- if sx resolve in trial but recur <4 weeks of stropping trial, move on to step 3.
SABA + low dose ICS
SABA + low dose ICS + LTRA
Stop LTRA, continue low dose ICS + SABA and refer to specialists.
Stepping down treatment in asthma?
Consider stepping down every 3 months or so.
Take into account duration of treatment, side effects and patient preference.
Wean off inhaled steroids, reduce by 25-50% at a time.
Features of moderate, severe and life-threatening asthma attack?
Moderate - sats >92, no clinical features of severe asthma, PEF >50% (>5 years)
Severe - sats <92, use of accessory muscles, struggle to talk, PEF 33-50%, tachycardia, tachypnoea
Life-threatening - normal pCO2, sats <92, silent chest, reduced consciousness, cyanosis, agitation, PEF <33%
Management of acute asthma attack?
Mild-moderate - hospital not required.
Bronchodilator therapy - give a SABA via a spacer, 1 puff every 30-60 seconds up to 10 times. If symptoms persist refer to hospital.
Steroid therapy - give to all children with asthma exacerbation, for 3-5 days.
Acute severe - hospital admission
Oxgen
Salbutamol nebs - 2.5mg for 2-5, 5mg for >5.
Oral prednisolone - 30-40mg if >5 years, 20mg if 2-5 years, 10mg if <2 years. Continue for 3 days.
Add neb ipratropium bromide (250mcg if 2-12, 500mcg if >12).
Consider adding 150mg magnesium sulphate to nebs
Alternative - IV salbutamol, aminophylline, IV magnesium sulphate.
Intubate and ventilate if necessary.
Features of Cystic Fibrosis?
Recurrent chest infections, chronic wet cough
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, malabsorption, failure to thrive
Neonate - meconium ileus, protracted jaundice, electrolyte abnormalities
Distal intestinal obstruction syndrome - due to thickening intestinal content.
Others - male infertility, female subfertility, DM, short stature, nasal polyps, delayed puberty, rectal prolapse
Diagnosis of CF?
Newborn screening test
Sweat test - high sweat chloride levels - normal is <40, CF value >60.
Causes of false positive sweat test?
Malnutrition, adrenal insufficiency, glycogen storage diseases, nephrogenic DI, hypothyroidism, hypoparathyroidism, G6PD, ectodermal dysplasia.
Organisms that colonise in CF patients
Staph aureus
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Aspergillus
Burkholderia cepacian
Management of CF?
Chest physio and postural drainage twice daily
High chloride and high fat diet
Vitamin supplementation
Pancreatic enzyme supplements with meals
Heart and lung transplant
Minimise contact with other CF patients to prevent cross infection
Ivacaftor and lumacaftor - treats CF patients who are homozygous for delta F508 mutation.
What is bronchiolitis and what causes it?
LRTI - acute inflammation of bronchioles
Usually due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), but also due to mycoplasma and adenovirus.
Most common cause of serious LRTI in <1 years
Higher incidence in winter.
Features of bronchiolitis?
Coryzal symptoms - runny nose, cough, fever
Dry cough
Dyspnoea
Wheezing, fine inspiratory crackles
Feeding difficulties due to increased SOB
Investigations and management of bronchiolitis?
Immunofluoresence of nasopharyngeal secretions may show RSV.
Management is supportive:
Fluids to avoid dehydration
Ibuprofen/paracetamol to bring down fever
Humidified oxygen if sats <92
NG feeding if severe feeding difficulties
Suction for excessive upper airway secretions
Infection usually clears up within 2 weeks without treatment.
Palivizumab to prevent RSV in children who are at risk of severe disease:
Premature infants
Infants with lung or heart abnormalities
Immunocompromised infants
Signs and symptoms of pneumonia? In newborns, infants and adolescents
Newborn - poor feeding, irritability, tachypnoea, grunting, hypoxia.
Infants - cough, tachypnoea, hypoxia, retractions, congestion, fever, irritability, poor feeding
Adolescents - all of above plus headache, pleuritic chest pain, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, pharyngitis, otitis.