Respiratory Path USMLE Flashcards
What is the difference between oxygen saturation (SaO2) and partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2)?
SaO2: oxygen in the red blood cell attached to the Hb.
PaO2: oxygen dissolved in plasma. If PaO2 is decreased, SaO2 has to be decreased.
How could you determine if hypoxemia is due to a pulmonary cause or an extrapulmonary cause?
Hypoxemia due to a pulmonary cause will cause an increase in the A-a gradient. Extrapulmonary cause will have a normal A-a gradient.
What are the causes of hypoxemia?
Increased A-a gradient: ventilation defects, perfusion defects, diffusion defects, R-L shunts.
Normal A-a gradient: depression of respiratory center in the medulla, upper airway obstruction, chest bellows dysfunction.
If a patient is anemic, do they have hypoxemia?
No. The patient will have normal respiration, normal PaO2 and normal SaO2.
What are the SaO2 and PaO2 values in a patient with carbon monoxide poisoning?
CO competes with O2 for binding sites on Hb, which decreases SaO2 without affecting PaO2.
What three ways does CO cause hypoxia?
CO competes with O2 for binding sites.
Inhibits cytochrome oxidase in the ETC.
Causes a left shift in the O2-binding curve.
Patient who lives in a cabin presents with cherry-red discoloration of skin and blood. They have a headache initially, but after you give 100% O2, the symptoms subside. What did you treat?
CO poisoning.
Patient presents with cyanosis, a normal PaO2 and a decreased SaO2. 100% oxygen doesn’t improve the cyanosis. How would you treat this patient?
Patient will also have chocolate colored blood. Methemoglobin (metHb) is Hb with Fe3+ and cannot bind O2. MetHb reductase normally converts Fe3+ to Fe2+. Treatment: IV methylene blue (activates metHb reductase) and ascorbic acid.
Name some causes of metHb.
Nitrite or sulfur-containing drugs (dapsone).
A newborn turns cyanotic when breast-feeding. Crying causes the child to pink up again. Diagnosis?
Choanal atresia: unilateral or bilateral bony septum between the nose and the pharynx.
What causes nasal polyps?
Nasal polyps develop as a response to chronic inflammation. They are non-neoplastic and consist of an edematous mucus and loose stroma. Allergies and NSAIDs are the most common cause. CF in child must be considered.
What ABG’s would you find in a patient in an episode of sleep apnea?
Decreased PO2 and O2 saturation and increased PCO2 (respiratory acidosis).
Name the most common pathogens in sinusitis.
Streptococcus pneumoniae (most common).
Chronic sinusitis: rhinoviruses, anaerobes.
Systemic fungi: mucor (diabetics) or aspergillus.
What are the most common sinuses involved in sinusitis?
Maxillary: adults.
Ethmoid: children.
Define atelectasis. What are the three types of acquired atelectasis?
Loss of lung volume due to inadequate expansion of the airspaces (collapse).
Resorption (obstruction), compression, contraction (fibrosis).
Explain the pathophysiology of resorption atelectasis.
Resorption: airway obstruction prevents air from reaching aveoli. Pores of Kohn drain pre-existing air from aveoli causing collapse. Mediastinum shifts toward effect lung.
Explain the pathophysiology of compression atelectasis.
Compression atelectasis occurs whenever the pleural cavity is filled by exudate, tumor, blood or air (tension pneumothorax). The pressure causes collapse of small airways beneath the pleura. Mediastinum will shift away from the effected lung.
What week of fetal life does surfactant synthesis begin? What hormones increase surfactant production? What decreases surfactant production?
28th.
Increases: cortisol and thyroxine.
Decreases: insulin.
What are some causes of respiratory distress syndrome in newborns?
Prematurity, maternal diabetes (fetal hyperglycemia increases insulin), and Cesarean section (lack stress = lack of cortisol release).
This is a slide of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. What is the arrow pointing at?
Dilated alveolar ducts are lined with a fibrin-rich membrane (hyaline membrane). Subjacent alveoli are collapsed.
What complications can arise from treating neonatal RDS with O2 therapy?
Superoxdie free radical damage can cause blindness and permanent damage to small airways (bronchopulmonary dysplasia).
What are the pathological causes of pulmonary edema?
Alteration in Starling pressure (transudate): hemodynamic disturbances - LHF, volume overload, mitral stenosis. Decreased oncotic pressure (less common) - nephrotic syndrome, cirrhosis.
Microvascular or alveolar injury(exudate): sepsis, aspiration (drowning, gastric contents), drugs, shock, trauma, high altitude.
Define acute respiratory distress syndrome. What is the histological manifestation of ARDS?
Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema resulting from acute alveolar-capillary damage. DAD - diffuse alveolar damage is the histological manifestation.
What are the top 4 causes of ARDS?
Gram-negative sepsis (40%)
Gastric aspiration (30%)
Severe trauma with shock (10%)
Diffuse pulmonary infections, heroin, smoke inhalation.
What is the morphological changes of alveoli in ARDS? Acute and chronic changes?
Alveolar walls become lined with waxy hyaline membranes due to a protein-rich exudate. Pneumocytes (both I and II) are also damaged leading to a decrease in surfactant and atelectasis. Late features of ARDS: progressive interstitial fibrosis.
Define acute interstitial pneumonia.
Same clinical course as ARDS but etiology is unknown.
Broadly define pneumonia. In what clinical setting does pneumonia commonly occur?
Pneumonia can be defined as any infection of the lung parenchyma. It can result whenever the defense mechanisms of the lung are impaired or whenever the resistance of the host in general is lowered.
How can the clearing mechanisms of the lung be interfered?
Suppression of cough reflex (coma, anesthesia, drugs, etc.).
Injury to the mucociliary apparatus (viral infection, smoking, etc.)
Interference with the phagocytic or bactericidal action of alveolar macrophages.
Pulmonary congestion/edema.
Accumulation of secretions (e.g. CF).
What is the most common cause of death in viral influenze epidemics?
Bacterial pneumonia. This highlights the point that one type of pneumonia (viral) often predisposes to another type, especially in debilitated patients.
What are some typical community-acquired pneumonia?
Most are bacterial pathogens. Most often it is due to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Other: Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Legionella pneumophilia (gram -), Klebsiella pneumoniae
What does this sputum stain show?
Numerous lancet-shaped diplococci. Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Explain the findings on this lung specimen.
Cross section of lung showing patchy areas of consolidation consistent with bronchopneumonia.
What are the four stages of the inflammatory response in lobar pneumonia?
Congestion: intra-alveolar fluid + bacteria
Red hepatization: massive exudation + fibrin, red
Gray hepatization: fibrinosuppurative exudate, dry/gray
Resolution
What are of the lung does bronchopneumonia usually involve?
Lower lobes or right middle lobe.
Many of the clinical features of typical pneumonia is due to _______. What are the clinical features?
Consolidation (inflammatory exudate causing solidification of pulmonary tissue). Clinical features: high fever, productive cough, consolidation: dullness to percussion, increased vocal fremitus, inspiratory crackles, whisper pectoriloquy, egophony.
What are the atypical community-acquired pneumonias?
Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae (TWAR agent), Chlamydia trachomatis (newborns), viruses: RSV, influenza, adenovirus.
A child presents with an ear infection an pneumonia. The causative agent is worrisome in young children because it can lead to meningitis. This bacteria also cause purulent conjunctivitis. What is it?
Purulent conjunctivitis (pinkeye). Haemophilus influenzae.
An alcoholic presents to the ER with a productive cough, thick/gelatinous sputum and a CXR showing patchy consolidations. What is the most likely pathogen?
Klebsiella pneumoniae often effects alcoholics and malnourished people. Thick and gelatinous sputum is very characteristic.
What water-loving bacteria causes Pontiac fever (self-limiting URT infection) and pneumonia?
Legionella pneumophila
What does the atypical stand for in atypical pneumonia?
Atypical denotes the moderate amount of sputum, no physical findings of consolidation, moderate elevation of WBC, and lack of alveolar exudate. Atypical pneumonia also has an insiduous onset, a low-grade fever, and a non-productive cough.
What pathogens cause nosocomial pneumonia?
Gram-negative bacteria: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (respirators), Escherichia coli
Gram-positive bacteria: Staph aureus
What pathogens cause pneumonia in immunocompromised hosts?
CMV, Pneumocystis jiroveci, Aspergillus fumigatus.
What portion of the lung does Primary TB commonly infect? How about reactivation TB?
Primary: upper part of the lower lobes or lower part of the upper lobes.
Reactivation: involves apices in upper lobes.
This silver-impregnated cytologic smear of bronchial tissue shows what fungi?
AIDS patient with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia.
Lung biopsy stained with Gomori methenamine-silver showing septated hyphae. The inset shows a fruiting body. Fungi?
Aspergillus fumigatus.
Narrow-based bud. This fungus was contracted by a pigeon carer.
Crytococcus neoformans.
This lung biopsy shows a spherule containg endospores. What fungi?
Coccidiodes immitis.
This yeast has been phagocytosed by macrophages.
Histoplasma capsulatum.
Broad-based bud. Fungi?
Blastomyces dermatidis.
What clinically distinct sign will a newborn present with it contracts Chlamydia trachomatis from its mother?
Staccato cough.
What is the bacteria that cause Q-fever? Who most commonly acquires atypical-pneumonia via this bacteria?
Coxiella burnetii. Contracted by dairy farmers, veterinarians.
What is a lung abscess? What is the most common cause of lung abscesses?
A pulmonary abscess describes a local suppurative process within the lung, characterized by necrosis of lung tissue. Aspiration of oropharyngeal material is the most common cause.
Which bacterial pneumonia can lead to a lung abscess?
Staph aureus, Klebsiella, an type 3 pneumococcus.
Which of these pathogens does NOT cause granulomatous inflammation with caseous necrosis:
Histoplasma, Coccidioides, TB, Blastomyces, Cryptococcus, Sarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis (noncaseating)