Respiratory Disorders Flashcards
difference between upper and lower respiratory tract diseases?
upper
- inspiratory dyspnoea
- external audible noise
lower
- expiratory dyspnoea and wheeze
- audible on auscultation
initial steps to perform on a respiratory disorder patient?
stabilise - oxygen supplementation
maybe sedation
- relax and regulate breathing
- for intubation
- but slows systems - may be compromised
cooling measures as often overheat
minimise stress
- keep calm and quiet
consider positioning
- if recumbent place in sternal
thacheotomy kit ready
initial diagnostic approaches should be performed on a respiratory patient?
consider breed dispositions
- brachycephalics
- Yorkies/toy breeds prone to resp collapse
get history
- sudden or gradual?
- trauma/fall? cough?
- eaten anything? scavenger?
physical examination
- observation - any blockages? mucus around mouth? effort?
- lung auscultation - noises? double breathing?
- cardiac auscultation
diagnostic tests
- blood analysis
- airway examination
- imaging - x-ray (consider sedation risks), endoscope
- respiratory fluid analysis
what is laryngeal paralysis?
causes, signs and management?
a slow, progressive disease that causes the narrowing of the larynx
- due to loss of function of the nerves controlling the larynx
causes
- congenital
- trauma to neck
- cancerous filtration of the nerve
signs
- coughing and gagging
- panting, noisy breathing and change in bark sound
- regurgitation
- dyspnoea during exercise or excitement
- worst-case: cyanosis and collapse
management
- stabilisation and oxygen therapy
- sedation and rest - reduce inspiratory effort
- can cause pneumonia - treat
- swap collars for harnesses
- don’t walk during warm hours
- may need surgical repair
what is laryngeal hemiplegia? signs and management?
one-sided laryngeal paralysis
signs
- exercise intolerance
- roaring/whistling sound
- performance limiting
- can cause collapse
management
- stabilisation and oxygen therapy
- sedation and rest - reduce inspiratory effort
- cooling
- tracheostomy or tie-back in severe cases
what is epiglottic entrapment?
signs, diagnostics and management?
Aryepiglottic folds become abnormal and enfolds the epiglottis
- can’t close trachea
- risk of aspiration and chocking
signs
- gurling, coughing, spluttering
- poor performance
diagnostics
- history
- endoscope to investigate
management
- surgery to resect trapped mucosa
- anti-inflammatories
- antibiotics
- trach kit/intubation and oxygen ready if becomes emergency
What is Dorsal Displacement of the Soft Palate (DDSP)?
signs, diagnostics and management?
the soft palate becomes dislodged from normal position under epiglottis
signs
- gurgling, coughing, spluttering
- poor performance/endurance
diagnostics
- history - recent trauma? sudden or gradual?
- endoscopy
management
- usually surgical
- soft palate cautery
- tie-forward
what is Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS)?
signs, diagnostics and management?
common disease in brachycephalic breeds
- due to squashed anatomy
signs
- snorting, snoring, gurgling, coughing, spluttering
- clear nasal discharge
- exercise intolerance - with difficulty breathing
- sleep apnoea
diagnostics
- clinical signs
- examination of upper airway
management
- oxygen therapy
- sedation - reduce stress and resp effort
- cooling
- severe cases = tracheostomy or surgical correction
what is tracheal disease?
signs, diagnostics and treatment?
cartilage rings of trachea are abnormal and degenerate
- soft and collapse
- often genetic
signs
- cough like a goose-honk
- dyspnoea with stress or excitement
- cyanosis
- collapse
diagnostic
- clinical signs and examination
- thoracic radiography
- tracheal endoscopy
- tracheal wash
treatment/management
- oxygen therapy
- intubation if emergency
- tracheal stent
- reduce stress
- long term weight management
- restrict exercise
- swap collar for harness
- avoid dusty, smokey, pollen areas
examples of infectious respiratory diseases
canine distemper
- distemper virus
- from air droplets from sneezing as well as urine and faeces
- incubation period 7-21 days
Canine Contagious Respiratory Disease (Kennel Cough)
- parainfluenza, herpesvirus, reovirus, adenovirus
- from air droplets from sneezing or shared bowls/areas
- incubation period 5-7 days
Feline Upper Respiratory Disease (Cat Flu)
- herpesvirus, calicivirus
- from nasal/ocular discharge and saliva - contact and shared bowls/areas
- incubation 1-10 days (depends on variant)
Snuffles - rabbits
- Pasteurella multocida
- from secretions and shared areas (fomites)
- incubation period approx 2 weeks
what considerations need to be made for contagious and infectious respiratory diseases?
barrier nursing
- think about stimulation, TLC and visitors
disinfect environment
monitor vital signs
administer medications/fluids
general nursing care of clinical signs
- designated staff and equipment
owner education
- vaccinations
- other pets at home
- disinfection of the environment
- carrier status once recovered
what is acute respiratory disease?
causes, signs, diagnostics and treatment/nursing care?
the interruption or failure of normal respiratory function
- causes reduced oxygen and increased carbon dioxide levels
causes
- rupture diaphragm
- pneumo-, haemo-, phyo-, chylothorax
- obstruction - foreign body or tracheal collapse
- neoplasia/tumour/masses
- infections
- pulmonary oedema or haemorrhage
signs
- tachy-, ortho-, dyspnoea
- mouth breathing
- cyanosis
- tachycardia
- collapse
- increased HR/RR to compensate
diagnostics
- clinical signs
- bloods - O2/CO2 levels
treatment/nursing care
- oxygen therapy
- keep patient calm
- minimal restraint
- support in sternal if recumbent
- have emergency equipment to hand
- close monitoring
what is chronic pulmonary disease?
causes, signs, diagnostics and management?
the narrowing of the bronchial lumen
- bronchiole inflammation
- bronchospasm
- mucus accumulation
causes
- asthma
- bronchitis
- pneumonia
- infection
- pulmonary haemorrhage/oedema
- lungworm
- neoplasia/tumour/masses
- anaphylactic shock
- trauma/collapsed lung
signs
- sometimes subtle
- noticed during exercise / exercise intolerance
- noisy sleeping
- flares up during warm/high pollen climates
- coughing/wheezing
- effort to breathe
diagnostics
- thoracic radiographs
- airway cytology
- heartworm testing
- bearmann faecal test - for lungworm
management
- bronchodilators, inhalers, corticosteroids
- parasite control
- oxygen
- rest and avoid stress
- close monitoring
what is extrapulmonary disease?
causes, signs, diagnostics and treatment/nursing care?
when lungs are unable to inflate adequately
causes
- diaphragmatic hernia
- pneumo-, haemo-, hydro-, pyo-, chylothorax
- neoplasia
- ascites
signs
- tachy- or dyspnoea
- shallow respiration
- cyanosis
- severe resp distress
- shock and collapse
diagnostics
- clinical examination
- blood tests
- thoracic radiographs
treatment/nursing care
- close monitoring
- decrease stress and keep warm
- oxygen and fluid therapy
- thoracocentesis - set up and assist
- manage chest drains
- medications
what is a tracheotomy?
tube into trachea
- placed just the larynx on the ventral midline of the neck - between rings of trachea
- temporary or permanent
often used in emergency situations to bypass upper airway obstruction
- done under GA if time
important to keep site clean and tube clear
