Respiratory Flashcards
How prevalent is lung cancer?
3rd after breast and prostate
What are the types of lung cancer?
Non - small cell:
- SCC
- Adenocarcinoma
- Large-cell carcinoma
Small- cell carcinoma
What are some signs of lung cancer?
- SOB
- Cough
- Haemoptysis
- Finger clubbing
- Recurrent pneumonia
- Weight loss
- Lymphadenopathy (supraclavicular lymph nodes)
What are the investigations for lung cancer?
CXR (hilar enlargement, peripheral opacity, PE, collapse)
Staging CT (chest, abdo, pelvis contrast enhanced for staging, check lymph node involvement and metastasis, contrast enhanced)
PET CT (inject radioactive tracer (attached to glucose molecules) and taking images using CT scanner and gamma ray detector - shows areas of increased metabolic activity
Bronchoscopy with endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) - endoscopy of airway with US at end of scope for detailed assessment of tumour and US guided biopsy
Histological diagnosis
Who is present at an MDT for lung cancer?
Surgeons
Oncologists
Radiologists
Pathologists
What is offered first line in non-small cell lung cancer? What else can be offered?
Sugery - lobectomy or segmentectomy or wedge resection
RT can also be curative when early enough
Adjuvant chemo
What is offered first line in small cell lung cancer?
Chemotherapy and RT
What treatment can be used as part of palliative treatment in lung cancer?
Stents or debulking to relieve bronchial obstruction
What are the extrapulmonary manifestations of lung cancer?
Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy - hoarse voice as cancer presses on recurrent laryngeal nerve as it passes through the mediastinum
Phrenic nerve palsy - weak diaphragm due to nerve compression
SVC obstruction - facial swelling, difficulty breathing, distended veins - “Pemberton’s sign” = raising of hands over face causes cyanosis
Horners - compression of sympathetic ganglion, partial ptosis, anhidrosis and miosis caused by Pancoast’s tumour
SIADH - caused by ectopic ADH from small cell lung cancer causing hyponatraemia
Cushing’s syndrome - caused by ectopic ACTH from small cell lung cancer
Hypercalcaemia from ectopic parathyroid hormone from a squamous cell carcinoma
Limbic encephalitis - paraneoplastic syndrome small cell lung cancer causes antibodies to brain tissue (specifically limbic system) = short term mem impairment, hallucinations, confusion and seizures (associated with anti-Hu antibodies)
Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome
What paraneoplastic syndrome can occur from small cell lung cancer?
SIADH - hyponatraemia
ACTH release - Cushing’s
What paraneoplastic syndrome can occur due to squamous cell carcinoma?
Hypercalcaemia from ectopic PTH
What is Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome?
Antibodies against small cell lung cancer which damage motor neurones (specifically voltage-gated calcium channels on presynaptic terminals)
Leading to weakness in:
Proximal muscles
Intraocular muscles causing diplopia
Levator muscles in the eyelid causing ptosis
Pharygeal muscles causing slurred speech and dysphagia
May also have dry mouth, blurred vision, impotence and dizziness due to autonomic dysfunction
In older smokers with symptoms of Lambert-Eaton syndrome consider small cell lung cancer
Where does meothelioma affect?
Mesothelial cells of lung pleura
What is mesothelioma associated with?
Asbestos inhalation (long latency period - 45 years)
Prognosis is poor - chemo can improve but essentiallt palliative
What are the 3 types of pneumonia?
Hospital acquired (48hrs after admission)
Community acquired
Aspiration pneumonia
How does pneumonia present?
SoB
Productive cough
Fever
Haemoptysis
Pleuritic chest pain
Delerium
Sepsis
What are the signs of pneumonia?
- Tachypnoea
- Tachycardia
- Hypoxia
- Hypotension
- Fever
- Confusion
- Bronchial breath sounds (harsh breath sounds equally loud on inspiration/expiration)
- Dullness to percussion
How is the CURB-65 score measured? (CRB-65 used out of hosp - if above 0 refer to hosp)
C – Confusion (new disorientation in person, place or time)
U – Urea > 7
R – Respiratory rate ≥ 30
B – Blood pressure < 90 systolic or ≤ 60 diastolic.
65 – Age ≥ 65
What CURB-65 score would you consider admitting?
> or = 2 (predicts mortality)
What are some common causes of pneumonia?
Streptococcus pneumoniae (50%)
Haemophilus influenzae (20%)
When is Moraxella catarrhalis seen causing pneumonia?
Immunocompromised patients or those with chronic pulmonary disease
When is pseudomonas aeruginosa/ S. aureus seen to cause pneumonia?
CF
What is atypical pneumonia?
- Organism cannot be cultures/detected on gram stain
- Don’t respond to penicillins
- Do respond to macrolides (e.g. clarithomycin)/fluroquinolones (e.g. levofloxacin) or tetracyclins (e.g. doxycycline)
What are some causes of atypical pneumonia?
Legionella pneumophilia
Mycoplasma pneumonia
How does legionella pneumophilia present? What is it normally caused by?
Hyponatraemia by causing SIADH (caused by infected water supplies / air conditioning units)
How does pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae present?
Rash - erythema multiforme (pink rings with pale centres = target lesions) also causes neurological symptoms
What are three other causes of atypical pneumonia? How do they present / what are they caused by?
Chlamydophilia pneumoniae - school aged child with mild / moderate chronic pneumonia and wheeze (may also not be caused)
Coxiella burnetii AKA “Q fever” - linked to exposure to animals / bodily fluids (usually farmer with flu like illness)
Chlamydia psittaci - from infected birds (parrot owners)
How can the 5 causes of atypical pneumonia be remembered?
Lesions of psittaci MCQs
Legionella pneumophila
Chlamydia psittaci
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Chlamydophila pneumoniae
Coxiella burnetii = Q fever
When does pneumonia caused by pneumocystis jiroveci present?
In immunocompromised patients
Poorly controlled HIV with low CD4 count
How does PCP present?
Dry cough without sputum
SOB on exertion
Night sweats
What is the treatment of PCP?
Co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole) = “Septrin”
What are the investigations for pneumonia?
CXR
FBC (for raised WCC)
U&Es (for urea)
CRP (for inflammation)
Sputum cultures
Blood cultures
Urinary antigens (for suspected legionella and pneumococcal)
When may patients with pneumonia not show an inflammatory response?
Immunocompromised (normally WBC and CRP are raised in proportion to severity of infection - WBC respond faster)
How is mild and moderate CAP treated respectively?
Amoxicillin / macrolide
(both if moderate)
Severe may require IV abx
What are some complications for pneumonia?
Sepsis
PE
Empyema
Lung abscess
Death
In spirometry what is FEV1?
FVC?
FEV1 = forced expiratory volume in 1 second (reduced in obstruction)
FVC = Forced vital capacity, amount exhaled after full inhalation (reduced in restriction)
What Spirometry result indicates obstruction as the cause?
FEV1 is <75% of FVC
What are some causes of obstruction?
Asthma
COPD (test for reversibility with brochodilator e.g. salbutamol)
What FEV1/FVC ratio indicates restrictive disease?
>75%
What are some causes of restrictive lung disease?
ILD
Neurological
Scoliosis
Obesity
How is a peak flow performed? What is it typically used for?
Measured using a peak flow meter (useful in obstructive lung disease e.g. asthma)
Patient stands tall, breaths in, makes a seal around device, blows as fast and hard as possible.
Take three attempts and record the best one
Usually recorded as “percentage of predicted”
How is peak flow put into context?
Percentage of predicted based on sex, height and age
What is asthma?
Chronic inflammation of the airways causing bronchoconstriction
What causes the bronchoconstriction seen in asthma?
Hypersensitivity of the airways
What are some triggers of asthma?
- Infection
- Night time/early morning
- Exercise
- Animals
- Cold/damp
- Dust
- Strong emotions
What presentation suggests asthma?
- Episodic symptoms
- Diurnal variability (worse at night)
- Dry cough with wheeze
- History of other atopic conditions e.g. eczema, hayfever and food allergies
- FH
- Bilateral widespread “polyphonic” wheeze
What presentation indicates a diagnosis other than asthma?
- Wheeze related to coughs / colds = viral
- Isolated / productive cough
- No response to treatment
- Unilateral wheeze
What are the investigations for asthma diagnosis?
- Spirometry with bronchodilator reversibility
- Fractional exhaled nitric oxide
If uncertainty following then:
- Peak flow variability (several times a day for 2-4 weeks)
- Direct bronchial challenge test with histamine and methacholine
What are the steps of medication for asthma? (NICE)
As required SABA (short acting beta 2 adrenergic receptor agonists e.g. salbutamol - effect only lasts for an hour / two acts on bronchioles used as “rescue” medication)
Regular inhaled low dose corticosteroid (e.g. beclometasone used as “preventer”)
Leukotriene receptor antagonist (e.g. oral montelukast and check response) / LABA (e.g. salmetarol)
CONSIDER CHANGING TO A MART REGIME (combining inhaler containing a low dose inhaled corticosteroids and fast acting LABA - single inhaler used as preventer and reliever.
Titrate inhaled corticosteroids up to “moderate dose”
Consider increasing ICS higher or add oral theophylline or inhaled LAMA (e.g. tiotropium)
Refer to specialist
What are leukotrienes and what do they do?
Product of the immune system and cause inflammation, bronchoconstriction and mucus secretion (leukotriene receptor antagonists work against this)
What is maintenance and reliever therapy?
MART
ICS and LABA - replacing all other inhalers using both regularily and as relief
What does the BTS offer as 3rd line medication instead of Leukotriene receptor antagonist?
LABA
How do:
Long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA e.g. tiotropium)
Theophylline
work?
LAMA = block acetylcholine receptors (usually stimulated by parasympathetic nervous system causing contraction of bronchial smooth muscles)
Theophylline = relaxes smooth muscle and reduces inflammation (has narrow therapeutic window can be roxic in excess - monitoring of theophylline levels is needed - done 5 days after starting and 3 days after each dose changes)
What are some additional things useful for asthmatics?
What are the rules of the treatment ‘ladder’?
- Individual asthma self-management plan
- Yearly flu jab
- Yearly asthma review
- Advise exercise and avoid smoking
Ladder = start at most appropriate step for severity of symptoms, review at regular intervals, step up and down based on symptoms, achieve no symptoms or exacerbation on lowest dose, check inhaler technique at review
What is an acute exacerbation of asthma?
Rapid deterioration in symptoms
Triggered by any typical triggers e.g. infection, exercise, cold, weather
How does acute asthma attacks present?
Worsening of SoB
Use of accessory muscles
Fast RR (tachypnoea)
Symmetrical expiratory wheeze on auscultation
Chest can sound “tight” on auscultation with reduced air entry
What is moderate asthma?
PEFR 50-75% predicted
What is severe asthma?
PEFR 33-50% predicted
RR >25
HR >110
Unable to complete full sentences
What is life threatening asthma?
PEFR <33%
Sats <92%
Becomming tired
No wheeze - silent chest
Haemodynamic instability (i.e. shock)
What is the treatment of moderate asthma?
NEB SABA and NEB IPRATROPIUM BROMIDE
Steroids (prednisolone or IV hydrocortisone) - continued for 5 days
Abx if bacterial infection suspected
What is the treament of severe asthma?
Oxygen (sats 94-98%)
Aminophylline infusion
Maybe IV salbutamol
What is the treatment of life threatening asthma?
IV magnesium sulphate infusion
Admission to HDU
Intubation in worse cases
What acute asthma medications are under senior guidance?
Aminophylline
IV salbutamol
IV magnesium
How are the ABGs in acute asthma, initially then later on?
Respiratory alkalosis as tachypnoea causes drop in CO2
A normal pCO2 or hypoxia indicates life threatening asthma
Respiratory acidosis due to high CO2 is a very bad sign in asthma
How to monitor the response to asthma treatment?
Monitor RR
Monitor Respiratory effort
Monitor Peak flow
Monitor oxygen saturations
Chest auscultation
What electrolyte needs to be monitored when on salbutamol?
Serum potassium (causes hypokalaemia as cells absorb potassium)
What is a cardiac side effect of salbutamol?
Tachycardia
What is COPD?
Non-reversible long term deterioration in air flow through lungs caused by damage to lung tissue (almost always result of smoking)