Respiratory Disease Flashcards
Upper respiratory tract
- Nasal cavity
- Pharynx
- Larynx
Lower respiratory tract
- Trachea
- Bronchi
- Alveoli
The respiratory epithelia is made up of pseudostratified columnar epithelium
Common cold
A catarrhal disorder of the upper respiratory tract
Cause = rhinovirus
Inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane leads to the symptoms of a cold
Vaccination is impractical; there are too many different strains
Influenza
Cause = influenza virus
A serious disease leading to 10,000 deaths per year
Symptoms = fever, shivering, generalised aching, headache, sore throat, dry cough
A seasonal vaccine is available, must be seasonal due to antigenic shift and drift
Pneumonia
Inflammation of the alveoli
This inflammation leads to the production of a protein-rich exudate which inhibits gaseous exchange
Cause = bacteria
Symptoms = cough, purulent sputum, dyspnoea, pyrexia
Complications = lung abscess, empyema
Treatment = antibiotics
Lobar pneumonia
Affects a large and continuous area of the lobe of a lung
Seen typically in healthy adults 20-50 y/o
Bronchopneumonia
Patchy inflammation of lobules and bronchi
Most common in vulnerable patients
Tuberculosis
Leading cause of death from an infectious disease
Cause = mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis lives within macrophages and the immune system cannot fully clear it, resulting in granuloma formation
Symptoms = cough, chest pain, fever, purulent sputum
Types of tuberculosis
Primary tuberculosis = small granulomas seen in lobes
Secondary tuberculosis = seen after re-activation, caseous necrosis is seen in granulomas
Miliary tuberculosis = disseminated granulomas are seen in many organs
COPD
An umbrella term for bronchitis and emphysema
Characterised by air flow limitation that is poorly reversible and progressive
A result of persistent inflammation and develops over many years
Major cause is smoking
Chronic bronchitis
Chronic inflammation of the airways leads to enlargement of mucous-secreting glands
This narrows the airways and hence air flow is restricted
Emphysema
Destruction of the lung tissue leads to a lack of elastic recoil and a limiting of expiratory air flow
Asthma
A chronic inflammatory condition of the lungs
Due to hypersensitivity to external stimuli leading to a narrowing of the bronchi
Airflow limitation is reversible
Treatment = bronchodilators
Primary carcinoma of the lung
The most common malignant tumour in the world
Poor prognosis - 10% 5-year survival rate
Directly cause by smoking
Symptoms = cough, chest pain, weight loss, haemoptysis
