Respiratory Infections Flashcards
where does corzya, pharyngitis, sinusitis and epiglottitis effect?
upper respiratory tract
where does acute bronchitis, pneumonia and influenzae effect?
lower respiratory tract
where is the cut off between upper and lower respiratory tract?
vocal cord (vocal cords and above = upper below vocal cords = lower)
what is corzya?
acute viral infection of the nasal passages
what is acute sinusitis usually preceded by?
corzya
what type of discharge is associated with acute sinusitis?
purulent nasal discharge
what is the reason diptheria is so life-threatening?
the toxin produced
why is diptheria not seen in the UK anymore?
vaccination
what is the reason epiglottits (in children) is so life-threatening?
risk of respiratory obstruction
what is acute bronchitis usually preceded by?
corzya
what are the clinical features of acute bronchitis?
productive cough (rememeber bronchitis is an over production of mucus) sometimes a fever possibly a transient wheeze normal chest examin normal CXR
what is the treatment for acute bronchitis?
supportive
antibiotics are not indicated unless patient has underlying chronic lung disease
what is an acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis?
worsening of sputum production (now purulent) of a patient with pre-existing lung disease
what usually precedes an acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis?
upper respiratroy tract infection
what are the clinical features of acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis?
breathlessness wheeze crackles cyanosed ankle oedema (in advanced disease- cor pulmonale)
what is the management of an acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis? (patient has purulent sputum)
primary care:
amoxicillin or doxycycline
bronchodilator inhalers
short steroid course in some cases
hospital: (refer if evidence of resp failure or not coping at home) measure ABGs give oxygen if resp failure CXR
what are the main investigations for a patient who has suspected pneumonia? (7)
blood culture serology ABGs FBC Urea LFTs CXR
why can herpes simplex be reactivated in patients with pneumonia?
opportunistic infection
why is CRB65 more useful in primary care than CURB 65?
don’t need to do a blood test
who tends to get severe chicken pox pneumonia?
adult smokers
what is the management of CAP?
antibiotics oxygen (maintain SaO2 94-98%) fluids bed rest no smoking
what can radiological technique can you use to help guide a chest drain?
ultrasound
what type of antibiotic cover is generally needed for hospital acquired pneumonia?
gram negative cover
what type of antibiotic cover is generally needed for aspiration pnumonia?
anaerobic cover
why is pneumonia caused by legionella tricky to diagnose?
chest symptoms may be absent but GI disturbance is common
who gets both influenza and pneumococcal vaccines?
people over 65
patients with chronic chest/cardiac disease
patients with diabetes
immunocompromised patients
what are the benefits of oseltamivir?
reduced duration of symptoms by one day
reduced use of antibiotics
might reduce infectivity
no data on mortality
how long is the first wave of an influenza pandemic?
3-5 months
when does the second wave of an influenza pandemic occur?
months after the first
explain CURB65
C = new onset of confusion U = urea >7 R = resp rate > 30/min B = BP, systolic 65 = age 65+
why does infection cause consolidation of an area of the lungs?
infection causes an inflammatory exudate (localised oedema) due to the inflammatory-induce leaky blood capillaries.
the fluid filled spaces lead to consolidaiton
what is lobar pneumonia?
confluent consolidation involving a complete lung lobe
what are the 7 major complications of pneumonia?
respiratory failure pleural effusion empyema abscess fibrous scarring bronchiectasis death
what is bronchopneumonia?
infection starting in airways and spreading to adjacent alveolar lung
what can be an underlying cause of bronchopneumonia?
COPD
cardiac failure
complication of viral infection
aspiration of gastric contents
what is a lung abscess?
localised collection of pus
what symptoms does a lung abscess cause?
chronic malaise and fever
what type of pneumonia is more likely to cause a lung abscess?
aspiration pneumonia
what is bronchiectasis?
abnormal fixed dilation of the bronchi
what is bronchiectasis usually the result of?
fibrous scarring followng infection (pneumona, TB, cystic fibrosis) or chornic obstruction (tumour)
what is the main consequence of bronchiectasis?
dilated airways accumulate purulent secretions (due to decreased secretion clearance) predisposing to infection
how can the pathology of TB be described?
type IV hypersensitivity (granuloma formation + necrosis)
apart from mycobacteria tuberculosis/bovis/africanum, what type of patients do other mycobacterias usually infect?
immunocompromised host
in TB what is the cause of the granulomatous inflammation, tissue necrosis and scarring?
T cell response to the organism
describe primary TB? (1st exposure)
inhaled organisms phagocytosed and carried to hilar lymph nodes. immune activation leads to a granulomatous response in the nodes and lung and usually results in killing of the organism
describe secondary TB?
reinfection/reactivation of TB disease
where does secondary TB tend to remain?
localised in the apices of the lung
what are the ways secondary TB infection can spread to other parts of the body?
airways and/or bloodstream