Respiratory Disease Flashcards
A dog who is unable to lie down with an extended neck and panting is suffering from what?
Dyspnoea
What are the clinical signs of a cat suffering from dyspnoea?
Sternal recumbency, abducted elbows and abdominal effort during inspiration
Does sinus arrhythmia normally indicate cardiac disease or primary respiratory disease?
Primary respiratory disease
Define the term stridor
An abnormal, high-pitched, musical breathing sound, caused by a blockage in the larynx or below
Define the term stertor
A low-pitched inspiratory noise due to significant upper respiratory obstruction (above the larynx) and subsequent turbulent airflow in the upper airway
What relevant history questions should be asked when presented with a patient in respiratory distress?
Duration and severity (changing?) of clinical signs
Are they coughing or sneezing, or have tachypnoea or nasal discharge?
On any medication/recent medication?
Is a vein or artery blood sample best for blood gas analysis?
Artery
What does blood gas analysis help you assess?
Pulmonary function
Oxygenation
Ventilation
How many radiograph views are taken to investigate respiratory issues?
3 views - right and left lateral and then VD or DV (taken before the laterals to prevent effects of lung collapse)
What imaging would be ideal if you suspect dynamic airway disease?
Fluoroscopy
During ultrasound for respiratory issues, which 3 structures should you focus on?
Lungs
Pleural space
Mediastinum
What is tracheobronchoscopy useful for?
Visualising airways and collecting fluid samples
Name 2 methods of sampling airway fluid
Bronchoalveolar lavage (ideally with bronchoscopy)
Trans/Endotracheal wash
What should you do with sampled airway fluid?
Cytology
Culture
PCR
Name the 7 most important things involved in assessment and stabilisation of patients with respiratory emergencies
- Respiratory pattern assessment
- Auscultation of heart and thorax
- Pulse oximetry
- Oxygen therapy - possible sedation and caged oxygen
- Sedation - butorphanol IV/IM and acepromazine IV/IM/SC
- IV catheter placement - when stable
- +/- Cooling, emergency intubation and ventilation
How can you differentiate between restrictive and obstructive respiratory distress?
Restrictive = rapid, shallow breathing
Obstructive = prolonged breathing phase
A dog with restrictive breathing and decreased breathing sounds could have which condition?
Pleural space disease - inspiratory dyspnoea
A dog with restrictive breathing and increased breathing sounds could have which condition?
Pulmonary parenchymal disease (alveolar space or pulmonary interstitium)
Can be both inspiratory and expiratory dyspnoea when severe
A dog or cat with neuromuscular weakness will have which breathing patterns?
Restrictive breathing, normal breathing sounds but reduced diaphragmatic movement
Also seen in chest wall disease/diaphragm disease
A cat or dog with an obstructive breathing pattern and expiratory sounds which are auscultatable (wheezing, coughing) has a condition localised to which area?
Intrathoracic disease - trachea and bronchi
A cat or dog with an obstructive breathing pattern, inspiratory noises and stridor has a condition localised to which area?
Extrathoracic disease - larynx and cervical disease
A cat or dog with an obstructive breathing pattern, inspiratory noises and stertor has a condition localised to which area?
Extrathoracic disease - nasal cavity and nasopharynx
What are the names of the 2 audible sounds heard with obstructive breathing patterns?
Stridor
Stertor
What causes restrictive respiratory patterns?
Restriction of lung expansion
Results in rapid, shallow inspiratory dyspnoea
A cat comes in with inspiratory dyspnoea, tachypnoea and reduced breath sounds.
On thoracic lung auscultation it has reduced sounds ventrally.
What is your top differential?
Pleural space disease - likely pleural effusion
If reduced sounds on dorsal lung auscultation then likely pneumothorax
How do you diagnose suspected pleural space disease?
Thoracic radiography
Thoracocentesis - cytology and culture
What are the 4 main causes of pleural space disease?
Pleural effusion
Pneumothorax
Pleural mass
Diaphragmatic hernia
What are the general clinical signs of pulmonary parenchymal disease?
Inspiratory dyspnoea +/- expiratory if severe
Tachypnoea
Increased breath sounds
Parenchymal = pulmonary interstitium and alveolar space
How is pulmonary parenchymal disease diagnosed?
Thoracic radiographs
Bronchoalveolar lavage - cytology, culture and sensitivity
Haematology and biochemistry
Which parasites can cause pulmonary parenchymal disease?
Lungworm:
Dogs - Angiostrongylus vasorum
- Oslerus osleri
- Crenosoma vulpis
- Eucoleus aerophilus
Cats - Aelurostrongylus abstrusus
- Eucoleus aerophilus
Heartworm:
Dogs - Dirofilaria immitis
Cats - Dirofilaria immitis
What are the 4 broad causes of pneumonia?
Aspiration
Viral
Bacterial
Fungal
True or False?
Pulmonary parenchymal disease can be due to pulmonary oedema, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural effusion and inflammation
False - all of the above except pleural effusion, which causes pleural space disease
A cat comes in with normal breathing sounds but reduced inspiratory excursions. What is your top differential?
Neuromuscular weakness
Caused by:
- Tick paralysis
- Snake venom
- Botulism
- Neuromuscular disease, e.g. polyradiculoneuritis
What are the 3 differentials for thoracic wall or diaphragm disease?
Trauma
Neoplasia
Diaphragmatic hernia
How can you diagnose thoracic wall or diaphragm disease?
Thoracic radiograph +/- contrast
Obstructive airway patterns are seen after either extrathoracic or intrathoracic airway obstruction. How can you differentiate between these using clinical signs?
Extrathoracic:
- Inspiratory dyspnoea and mild tachypnoea
- Stridor (typically from the larnyx)
- Stertor (typically from the nasal/nasopharynx)
Intrathoracic:
- Expiratory dyspnoea and tachypnoea
- Wheeze
- Prolonged expiration and increased expiratory effort
Give 4 differentials for obstructive airway disease originating from the nasal cavity and nasopharynx
Brachycephalic airway syndrome
Foreign body
Fungal infection
Inflammatory
Neoplasia
Rhinitis (allergy)
Nasopharyngeal polyps
Stenosis
What diagnostic tests can you do to investigate obstructive airway disease from the nasal cavity and nasopharynx?
Nasal cavity examination
Radiographs
Rhinoscopy +/- biopsy
Nasal and nasopharynx flush and culture
CT
What diagnostic tests can you do to investigate obstructive airway disease from the larynx and cervical trachea?
Laryngeal examination under light anaesthesia
Radiographs
Bronchoscopy +/- biopsy
Fluoroscopy
What diagnostic tests can you do to investigate obstructive airway disease from the intrathoracic trachea and bronchi?
Radiography
Bronchoscopy +/- biopsy
Trans/Endotracheal wash
Bronchoalveolar lavage
Name 2 parasites which can cause obstructive disease in the trachea
Filaroides spp. (e.g. Oslerus osleri)
Capillaria spp. (e.g. Capillaria aerophila)
Give 4 differentials for obstructive airway disease in the bronchi in dogs and cats
Canine chronic bronchitis
Feline bronchial disease
Infectious bronchitis
Collapse
Parasitic disease:
- Lungworm, e.g. Angiostrongylus vasorum, Oslerus osleri, Aelurostrongylus abstrusus
- Heartworm, e.g. Dirofilaria immitis
Give 4 broad differentials for acute onset sneezing in a dog or cat
Nasal cavity/nasopharynx:
- Foreign body
- Allergy
- Infectious (viral)
- Trauma
Give 3 broad differentials for chronic sneezing in a dog or cat
Nasal cavity/nasopharynx:
- Infectious (viral, secondary bacterial, fungal, parasitic)
- Neoplasia
- Foreign body
Give 3 differentials for reverse sneezing in a dog
Foreign body
Nasal mites
Allergies - lymphocytic plasmacytic rhinitis
Post vomiting
Neoplasia
Fungal diseases - Aspergillus fumigatus or Cryptococcus
Nasal polyps (cats)
A dog presents with serous nasal discharge. Which one of the following isn’t a likely differential diagnosis?
Viral, allergic, bacterial, foreign body.
Bacterial
Give 4 differentials for a dog with purulent nasal discharge
Chronic foreign body
Secondary bacterial infection
Fungal infection
Lower respiratory tract disease
Neoplasia
Dental disease
Inflammatory
A cat comes in with a serosanguinous nasal discharge (epistaxis). What are 4 differentials for this?
Neoplasia
Fungal
Trauma
Foreign body
Systemic coagulopathy
Hypertension
Dental disease
Inflammatory
A dog is presented with sneezing, nasal discharge and halitosis. On dental examination, there is a hole in the gum above tooth 104. What is your top differential?
Oronasal fistula - opening between the oral cavity and nasal fistula, secondary to severe periodontitis
A cat comes in with an acute onset unilateral serous nasal discharge, sneezing and reverse sneezing. What is your top differential and what diagnostic tests will you do?
Foreign body in the nasal cavity/nasopharynx
Diagnostic tests:
- Nasal flush
- Rhinoscopy
- +/- radiographs (4-5 day lag phase for radiographic changes)
Which dogs and cats are predisposed to Aspergillus fumigatus infections?
Young dolichocephalic dogs
Brachycephalic cats
A dog’s owner rings the practice and says they suspect their dog has Aspergillosis. They book an appointment and are coming in now. What clinical signs are you expecting to see?
Purulent to sanguineous nasal discharge
Pain on palpation of the nasal cavity
Ulceration of the nasal planum
Signs of systemic illness if severe
Depigmentation of the nasal planum
How can you diagnose an Aspergillus fumigatus infection in a dog or cat?
Serology - fungal antibody titres, but false negatives and only show exposure, not disease
Rhinoscopy (fungal plaques) + biopsy and cytology
Culture from a nasal swab - presence shows exposure, not disease
CT
You have diagnosed a dog with an Aspergillus fumigatus infection. How are you going to treat it?
Topical antifungals (enilconazole), often placed under GA
Systemic antifungals if needed (itraconazole)
Local debridement
Aspergillus fumigatus is one of 2 common nasal fungal infections. What is the other one?
Cryptococcus - normally Cryptococcus neoformans
Typically a cat disease
Describe the common clinical signs of Cryptococcus infection in cats
Sneezing
Hard swelling over the bridge of the nose
Polyps in the nasal passages, which may cause difficulty breathing
Nasal discharge that may be blood-tinged, yellow, clear, or a combination of mucus and pus
Neurological signs if infection with Cryptococcus var gatti
How can you treat cases of Cryptococcus infection in cats?
Systemic antifungals - Itraconazole or Amphotericin B if showing neurological signs
Give the 3 most common neoplasias of the nasal cavity/nasopharynx
Adenocarcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma
Lymphoma (cats)
A dog presents with right unilateral nasal discharge and a facial deformity on the right side of the dorsal rostrum. The dog is systemically well. What is your top differential diagnosis and what diagnostics will you use?
Neoplasia
Diagnostic tests:
- Radiographs
- CT
- Rhinoscopy and bronchoscopy