Respiratory - Level 2 Flashcards
Definition of asthma?
- Respiratory condition associated with reversible airway inflammation and hyper-responsiveness
Classification of asthma?
o Extrinsic (Atopy) Allergens identified by positive skin prick to common inhaled allergens
o Intrinsic
No definitive external cause is identified and often develops in middle age
Pathology of asthma?
o Usually reversible either spontaneously or treatment
o 1. Airway narrowing
Smooth muscle contraction, thickening of airway wall by cellular infiltration and inflammation
Secretions within the airway
o 2. Inflammation
Mast cells, eosinophils, T cells, dendritic cells cause IgE production and release of histamine, prostaglandin D2, leukotriene C4
o 3. Remodelling
Hypertrophy and hyperplasia leading to more mucous secreting goblet cells
Epidemiology of asthma?
- 10-15% of people develop asthma in 2nd decade of life
- More common in developed world
- 15% of asthma induced at work
Risk factors of asthma?
- FHx of atopic disease
- Respiratory infections in infancy
- Tobacco smoke
- Low birth weight
- Social deprivation
- Inhaled particulates
Aetiology of asthma?
- Atopy
o Defined as people who readily develop IgE antibodies
o Genetic and environmental predispose to asthma
o Increased responsiveness of airways to stimuli – provocation tests induce a response (histamine)
Precipitating factors of asthma?
- House dust mite and its faeces
- Viral infections
- Cold air
- Exercise
- Irritant dust, vapours, fumes (cigarettes, perfume, exhaust)
- Emotion
- Drugs (Aspirin, beta-blockers)
Symptoms of asthma?
- Wheezing attacks
- SOB
- Chest tightness
- Cough (nocturnal)
- Sputum
Features characteristic of asthma?
- Intermittent and worse at night – diurnal variation
- Quantify exercise tolerance
- Disturbed sleep
- Often have atopy – hayfever, eczema
- Any pets, feathers, job
- Days per week of school/work
Signs of asthma?
- Tachypnoea
- Audible wheeze
- Hyperinflated chest
- Hyper-resonant percussion
- Decreased air entry
- Reduced chest expansion
Investigations of asthma - if suspected asthma?
- If <5 – treat based on symptoms and review child regularly, if still symptoms at 5, carry out objective tests
- If >5 and unable to perform objective tests – continue to treat and try redoing test every 6-12 months
Investigations of asthma in children 5-17 years - initial investigations to perform?
o Offer spirometry to all if diagnosis of asthma considered
FEV1/FVC <70% if positive tests for obstructive airway disease
o Bronchodilator Reversibility test
Consider if obstructive spirometry (FEV1/FVC <70%)
Positive test if >12% increase in FEV1
Investigations of asthma in children 5-17 years - when to diagnose asthma?
o Obstructive spirometry and positive BDR
o FeNO >35ppb and positive PEFR variability
Investigations of asthma in children 5-17 years - tests if diagnosis of asthma uncertain and what is a positive result?
o FeNO
If normal spirometry or obstructive spirometry with negative BDR test
35ppb or more is positive test
o Monitor PEFR variability for 2-4 weeks
If normal spirometry o robstructive spirometry with negative BDR test and FeNO >35ppb
>20% variability is positive test
o Refer for specialist assessment if obstructive spirometry, negative BDR and FeNO <35ppb
Investigations of asthma in children 5-17 years - when to refer to specialist?
o Refer for specialist assessment if obstructive spirometry, negative BDR and FeNO <35ppb
Investigations of asthma in children 5-17 years - when to suspect asthma?
o FeNO >35 with normal spirometry and negative PEFR variability
o FeNO >35 with obstructive spirometry but negative BR with no variability on PEFR
o Normal spirometry, FeNO <35 and positive PEFR
o Review diagnosis after 6 weeks of treatment by repeating any abnormal tests
Investigations of asthma in adults - objective tests to perform?
o FeNO
>40ppb is positive test
o Spirometry
FEV1/FVC <70% is positive result of obstructive spirometry
o Bronchodilator Reversibility Test (BDR)
If obstructive spirometry (FEV1/FVC <70%), positive result is >12% improvement of FEV1 with increase in volume of >200ml
Investigations of asthma in adults - diagnose asthma when?
o FeNO >40ppb with either positive BDR or positive PEFR variability or bronchial hyperreactivity
o FeNO between 25-39 and positive bronchial challenge test
o Positive BDR and positive PEFR variability irrespective of FeNO level
Investigations of asthma in adults - tests to perform if diagnosis uncertain?
o PEFR variability for 2-4 weeks (>20% variability is positive test)
If uncertainty and FeNO test and have either:
• Normal spirometry
• Obstructive spirometry with BDR positive but FeNO <39
o Direct bronchial challenge with histamine or methacholine if normal spirometry and either:
FeNO >40ppb with no PEFR variability
FeNO <39 with PEFR variability
PC20 (provoking concentration to induce 20% reduction in FEV1) of 8mg/ml or less is positive result
Investigations of asthma in adults - when to suspect asthma?
- Suspect Asthma if obstructive spirometry and:
o Negative BDR and either FeNO >40 or FeNO 25-39 and positive PEFR
o Positive BDR, FeNO 25-39 and negative PEFR
o Treat patients and review diagnosis after 6-10 weeks by repeating spirometry
Management of asthma - general advice?
- Weight loss
- Stop smoking
- Avoid triggers
- Annual flu vaccine
- Check inhaler technique and PEFR 2x a day
Management of asthma - medications - under 5s - step 1?
o SABA with 8-week trial of paediatric moderate dose ICS
If symptoms >3x per week, causing waking at night or not controlled on SABA alone
Management of asthma - medications - under 5s - step 2?
o After 8 weeks, stop ICS treatment:
If symptoms resolved then reoccurred within 4 weeks of stopping ICS – restart at paediatric low dose maintenance therapy
If symptoms resolved but reoccurred beyond 4 weeks after stopping ICS – repeat 8-week trial of paediatric moderate dose of ICS
Management of asthma - medications - under 5s - step 3?
o If unresolved on paediatric low dose maintenance therapy:
Add LTRA
Management of asthma - medications - under 5s - step 4?
o If unresolved on ICS and LTRA:
Stop LTRA and refer to specialist
Management of asthma - medications - child >5 and adults - step 1?
o Step 1
PRN SABA – Salbutamol alone if infrequent
Management of asthma - medications - child >5 and adults - step 2?
o Step 2 (if >3 doses PRN SABA, drugs not working, woken)
Add low dose ICS (beclomethasone) 400mcg starting dose
Management of asthma - medications - child >5 and adults - step 3?
Step 3 (if >3 doses PRN SABA in week, drugs not working, woken) Add a LTRA and assess in 4-8 weeks - if not controlled, discuss benefit (stop or continue) (NICE Step 3)
Add LABA (salmeterol) either fixed dose or MART - if good response - continue (BTS Step 3)
• If benefit of LABA but inadequate, increase beclomethasone dose 800mcg
• If no response to LABA, stop LABA and increase beclomethasone dose 800mcg
Management of asthma - medications - child >5 and adults - step 4 and step 5?
o Step 4 (if >3 doses PRN SABA, drugs not working, woken)
SABA + ICS + LABA (continue LRTA if helped)
Step 5
Switch ICS/LABA to MART which includes ICS low dose
Management of asthma - medications - child >5 and adults - step 5?
o Step 5 (if >3 doses PRN SABA, drugs not working, woken)
Referral to specialist
Oral prednisolone
Steroid sparing – methotrexate, ciclosporin
Management of asthma - when to refer immediately?
- Immediately if occupational asthma suspected
Management of asthma - follow up?
- Annually
- 4-8 weeks after medication change or start
- Long-term/Frequent steroid tablets need BP, HbA1c, cholesterol and vision tested every 3 months
Management of asthma - self-management plan?
- Increased dose of ICS for 7 days when asthma deteriorates (quadruple dose)
Doses of ICS in asthma - adults?
o < or equal 400mcg budesonide or equivalent = low dose
o 400mcg – 800mcg budesonide or equivalent = moderate dose
o >800mcg budesonide or equivalent = high
dose
Doses of ICS in asthma - child <16?
o < or equal 200mcg budesonide or equivalent = low dose
o >200mcg – 400mcg budesonide or equivalent = medium dose
o >400mcg budesonide or equivalent = high dose
Definition of COPD?
- Characterised by airflow obstruction due to combination of obstructive bronchiolitis and emphysema, resulting from enhanced inflammatory response
- FEV1 <80% predicted; FEV1/FVC <0.7
Pathology of COPD?
Chronic bronchitis
• Airway narrowing due to hypertrophy and hyperplasia of mucous secreting glands and oedema
• Change to columnar epithelium
• Sputum production for 3 months of 2 successive years
Emphysema
• Dilatation and destruction of lung distal to terminal bronchioles
• Loss of elastic recoil
Classes of COPD?
o Type 1 Respiratory Failure (Pink puffers)
Normal paO2, PaCO2
Emphysema predominantly, breathless not cyanosed
o Type 2 Respiratory Failure (blue bloaters)
Low PaO2, High PaCO2
Chronic bronchitis – cyanosed develop cor pulmonale and rely on hypoxic drive
Epidemiology of COPD?
- In UK, 3 million people living with COPD
- Cigarette smoking in 90% of cases
- 10-20% of the over 40s
- Age of onset >35 years
Risk factors of COPD?
- Cigarette smoking
- Exposure to pollutants
o Mining, building, chemical industries - Air pollution
- Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency
Symptoms of COPD?
- Productive, white/clear sputum cough
- Progressive breathlessness
- Wheeze
- Frequent exacerbations
- Weight loss, fatigue
Signs of COPD?
- Cyanosed
- Flapping tremor
- Tachycardia
- Accessory muscles used
- Hyperinflated chest
- Reduced expansion
- Reduced breath sounds
- Wheeze
- Hyper resonant percussion
- Cor Pulmonale – peripheral oedema, raised JVP, systolic parasternal heave
When to diagnose COPD clinically?
- > 35 years old
- Risk factor present
- Typical and other symptoms
o Exertional SOB, chronic cough, regular sputum production, frequent winter bronchitis, wheeze
Asssessment of COPD?
- MRC Dyspnoea scale
o 1 – not troubled by breathlessness except strenuous
o 2 – SOB when hurrying or walking up slight hill
o 3 – Walks slower than contemporaries due to breathlessness, must stop when at own pace
o 4 – stops for breath about 100m or few minutes
o 5 – Too breathless to leave house, breathless when dressing - Symptoms of anxiety or depression
- Calculate BMI
- Arrange spirometry, CXR, FBC
Investigations to perform in COPD?
Post-bronchodilator spirometry
- Reduced FEV1, FEV1/FVC <0.7, PEFR
- Reversibility <20% post-bronchoscopy
CXR
o Hyperinflation (>6 anterior ribs seen above diaphragm MCL)
o Flat hemidiaphragm
FBC
BMI
Classification criteria in COPD?
Diagnosis – GOLD Criteria
- Mild – FEV1 ≥80% of predicted
- Moderate – FEV1 50-79% of predicted
- Severe – FEV1 30-49% of predicted
- Very Severe – FEV1 <30% of predicted