Respiratory conditions - COPD

Question 1

What is COPD?

Answer 1

Describes a group of chronic respiratory disorders characterised by irreversible, progressive tissue degeneration and airway obstruction.

Question 2

What are some of the pathological changes that can happen with copd?

Answer 2

• Chronic inflammation with an increased number of inflammatory cells in the lungs.
• COPD can increase the macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes in the airways, functional lung tissue and pulmonary vessels. These amplify the inflammation process.
• A local immunoglobulin (lgA) deficiency can be associated with bacterial translocation, small airway inflammation and airway remodelling.

Question 3

Why is ventilation impaired with COPD?

Answer 3

• The airways and alveoli lose elasticity’
• The walls between many alveoli are destroyed
• The walls between the airways become thick and inflammed
• Mucus production increases and therefore blocks the airways.

Question 4

How do the defense mechanisms become compromised?

Answer 4

When thick mucous is produced and cannot be cleared due to the impaired ciliary function the defense mechanisms are compromised.

Question 5

What does the defense mechanisms being compromised increase the risk of?

Answer 5

Increases the risk of suseptability for pulmonary infections, contributing to airway injury.

Question 6

Define chronic bronchitus.

Answer 6

• Inflammation of the bronchi
• A productive cough and excessive mucus production
• Initially only affects the larger bronchi butn will go on to afect all airways.

Question 7

What does the excessive mucus production cause?

Answer 7

The thick mucus and hypertrophied bronchial smooth muscle narrow the airways and lead to obstruction partucularly during expiration when the airways are constricted.

Question 8

What can obstruction eventually lead to?

Answer 8

Ventillation perfusion mismatch with hypoxia.

Question 9

Explain the process of the airways collapsing.

Answer 9

• The airways collapse in early expiration.
• This traps the gas in the distal portion of the lung
• Air trrapping expands the throax putting the respiratory muscles at a disadvantage.
• This leads to a reduction in tidal vomume , hypercapnia and hyperventilation