Respiratory Pathology Flashcards
Obstructive Diseases - Possible Outcomes
Congestion or constriction of the airway → ↑ resistance
Uneven distribution of the air => Disturbance of ventilation and perfusion.
Can lead to altered blood gas values: ↑ PCO2
and ↓ pH value.
Obstructive Disease - Obstructions
Congestion from outside: tumor
Food
Mucus (lung secretion)
Accumulation of gas (main)
Obstructive Diseases
COPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Cystic fibrosis/Mucoviscidosis
Asthma
Bronchiectasis
Central local obstruction (e.g. foreign objects)
COPD - 2 Conditions
Chronic inflammation → structural changes: AIRWAYS/ALVEOLI /BOTH
- Chronic Bronchitis
- Emphysema
COPD - Chronic Bronchitis
Presence of cough and sputum production for at least 3 months in each of 2 consecutive years
- narrowing of airways
- dyspnea, chronic cough, sputum production, wheezing
- disturbance ventilation/perfusion
COPD - Emphysema
Destruction of the gas-exchanging surfaces of the lung (alveoli)
- loss of support for airways (collapse during expiration)
- high compliance, ↓ lung elastic recoil
- air trapping during expiration, hyperinflation.
- dyspnea, chest tightness, cyanosis,…
COPD - Risk Factors
1) Long-term exposure to lung irritants: Smoking, air pollution, chemical fumes, asthma, childhood respiratory infections.
2) Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
Classification of COPD - GOLD
FEV1/FVC FEV1
Stage I - Mild: < 70% -
Stage II - Moderate: < 70% < 50-70%
Stage III - Severe: < 70% < 30-50%
Stage IV - very severe: < 70% <30% or <
Forced vital capacity (FVC): This is the largest amount of air you can breathe out after breathing in as deeply as you can.
Forced expiratory volume (FEV-1): shows how much air you can exhale from your lungs in 1 second.
COPD - Major Diagnostic Tool
Spirometry Accesses: Vital capacity (IRV, VT, ERV) IRV: Inspiratory reserve volume VT: Tidal volume ERV: Expiratory reserve volume
COPD - Symptoms
Dyspnea, chronic cough or sputum production, and/or a history of exposure to risk factors for the disease.
Lung function test. X-Ray.
Other common features of COPD (not diagnostic):
• Hyperinflated chest
• Resting tachypnea
PaO2 Value ↓ (Hypoxemia)
PaCO2 ↑ (Hypercapnia)
Arterial pH value ↓ (respiratory Acidosis)
COPD - Static Lung Hyperinflation
Increase in end expiratory lung volume above predicted normal value.
increase in lung compliance, decrease recoil pressure. (air trapping)
Thorax and lungs always hyperinflated, diaphragm almost flat at end expiration.
The lungs exert less recoil pressure to counter the recoil pressure of the chest wall, resulting in an equilibrium of recoil forces at a higher resting volume than normal.
result of the permanent parenchymal destruction.
COPD - Dynamic Hyperinflation
Increase in end expiratory lung volume above ‘‘static’’ value. Cannot expire all the air that was inhaled, tidal volume decreases. The ability to fully exhale depends on the degree of airflow limitation and the time available for exhalation. These can both vary, causing greater hyperinflation during during exercise.
COPD - Treatment
- Patient education
- Expiration techniques
- Airway clearance techniques
- Physical activity training/coaching
- Optimization pharmacotherapy + check inhalation technique
Restrictive Lung Diseases
Impairment to thoracic wall(neuromuscular diseases, kyphoscoliosis)
Post-surgery (e.g. lobectomy/ pneumectomy)
Interstitial lung diseases (e.g. fibrosis)
Pleural pathology (e.g. mesothelioma)
Obesity
Cancer
Pneumonia
Tuberculosis
Restrictive Lung Diseases - Characteristics
- Decreased elasticity
- Retraction force elevated
- Total lung capacity reduced (<80%)
- Reduction of the maximal mobilized ventilatory volume (TLC and VT)
- Reduced inspiratory reserve volume (IRV)
Restrictive Lung Diseases - 2 Reasons
- Interstitial space thicker between alveoli and capillary → Elastic recoilment↑ → compliance↓ → total lung capacity↓ → Difficulty to inhale.
- Problem with ventilatory muscle (neuromuscular disease) - Diaphragm total lung capacity↓ → compliance↓ → Difficulty to inhale.
Mixed Diseases - Restrictive and Obstructive
- Pneumectomy in patient with COPD
* Lung cancer: Loss of lung parenchyma (restrictive), obstruction of the airways (obstructive)
Pneumonia - Definition
- Infection that inflames the air sacs (alveoli)
* filled with fluid or pus (purulent material)
Pneumonia - Etiology
Community acquired: bacteria, virus, fungal.
Various germs.
Hospital acquired (nosocomial infection): 48h after admission, bacteria more resistant to antibiotics, high risk for ventilated patients.
Pneumonia - Symptoms
- Fever
- Shivering
- Cough first dry then productive and purulent
- Dyspnea
- Tachycardia
- Chest wall pain
- Confusion
- Fatigue
Pneumonia - Risk Factors
- <2y or >65y
- Being hospitalized
- Chronic (cardiorespiratory) disease
- Smoking
- Weakened immune system
Pneumonia - Diagnosis
Chest X-ray
Blood tests
Sputum test (yellow/green)
Pneumonia - Treatment
• Antibiotics • Oxygen supplementation • Physiotherapy Prevention! → vaccination • Smoking cessation
Cystic Fibrosis - Definition
Inherited disease affecting cells that produce mucus, sweat and digestive juices.
Fluid: becomes sticky and thick, secretions plug up tubes due to salt dysregulation → recurrent infections.
Cystic Fibrosis - Symptoms and Diagnosis
• A persistent cough that produces thick mucus(sputum)
• Wheezing
• Breathlessness
• Exercise intolerance
• Repeated lung infections
• Inflamed nasal passages or a stuffy nose
Genetic test or blood test.
Cystic Fibrosis - Complications
- Hemoptysis (coughing up blood: RED FLAG)
- Chronic infections
- Bronchiectasis
Cystic Fibrosis - Treatment
Patient/Parent education Prevention of infections Medication Airway clearance techniques several times a day Physical activity Inhalations: check technique Final: Lung transplant
Asthma - Definition
Chronic disease of airways that makes breathing difficult and trigger coughing and wheezing.
→ Contraction muscle surrounding airways (narrowing airways)
→ Accumulation of inflammatory cells (swelling + build-up mucus in airways)
Asthma - Symptoms
- Shortness of breath
- Chest tightness or pain
- Trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing.
- A whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling → harder to breathe out.
- Coughing or wheezing attacks that are worsened by a respiratory virus, such as a cold or the flu.
Bronchial Asthma - Triggers
- Exercise
- Respiratory illness
- Irritants in air
- Allergens
- Extreme weather
- Emotions
Bronchial Asthma - Symptoms and Diagnosis
- Dry nervous cough
- Dyspnea
- Wheezing in expiration, prolonged expiration
- Medical history
- Spirometry
- Allergy tests
Asthma - Treatment
- Expiratory techniques (pursed lips)
- Breathing control in relaxing positions
- Inhalation of medications
- Smoking cessation
- Stress reduction (avoid triggers)
- Expectoration techniques (+ exercise)