Respiratory Pathology Flashcards
What consists of the upper respiratory system?
- nose
- accessory air sunuses
- Nosopharynx
- Larynx
What consists of the lower respiratory system?
- Trachea
- Bronchi
- Bronchioles
- Terminal Bronchioles
- Alveoli
What is the main lower respiratory infection?
Pneumonia
Name some of the common upper respiratory infections and the symptoms of them.
- Rhinitis
- Laryngitis
- Tonsillitis
- Sinusitis
Symptoms: Malaise, headache, sore throat, discharge
What are the types of Pneumonia (lower airway infection)
- Community Acquired
- Hospital Acquired
- Aspiration Pneumonia
- Narcotising pneumonia and lung abscesses
- Pneumonia in the immunocompromised host.
What are the causes and symptoms of the lower respiratory infection of Pneumonia?
Causes: Infectious agents, inhilation of chemicals, chest wall trauma Symptoms: -Fever -SOB -Rigours -Pleuritic chest pain -Purulent sputum -Cough
What are the most common bacteria assosicated with community pneumonia?
- Strep. Pnuemoniae (main one)
- Haemophilus influenzae
- Staph aureus (viral complications+ IVDU compliations)
What is nosocomial pneumonia another name for?
Hospital Acquired pneumonia
True or false?
Hospital Acquired pneumonia is the most common cause of death in ITU
TRUE
Pneumonia is the most common cause of death in ITU
How do you get aspiration pneumonia and who is at risk?
You get aspiration pneumonia after inhaling foreign material.
People at risk are the elderly, stroke victims, dementia and anaesthetic patients.
What is the definition of an obstructive pulmonary disease?
It’s a disease characterised by partial or complete obstruction at any level from the trachea to respiratory bronchioles.
What’s a restrictive respiratory disorder?
It’s chatacterised by reduced expansion with decreased total lung capacity.
Restrictive or Obstructive:
A lung has reduced expansion with decreased total lung capacity?
RESTRITIVE
COPD, Asthma and Bronchiotatis are all what type of pulmonary disorder?
They are Obstructive pulmonary disorders.
Give some examples of Obstructive Pulmonary Disorders….
- Asthma
- COPD (Emphysema, chronic bronchitis)
- Bronchiectasis (chronic infection leading to destruction and dilation of the airways
What other name is given to COPD?
Emphysema
What condition does the defy:
Irreversible enlargement of the airspaces distal to the terminal bronchioles destruction of their walls without obvious fibrosis.
Pathogenesis= mild chronic inflammation
This defines COPD or also known as Emphysema
What are some of the symptoms of COPD/ Emphysema?
- dyspnoea (SOB)
- Cough
- Weezing
- Weight loss
- Expiratory airflow limitation
- Congestive Heart Faiulure
- Pneumothorax (Gas in pleural space)
If a patient had these symptoms, what would you diagnose?
Persistent cough with sputum production for at least 3 months in at least 2 consecutive years without any other identifiable cause
COPD - Chronic Bronchitis
What is Chronic Bronchitis (COPD)
It’s where the mucous membrane swells with oedema causing excessive mucous production causing narrowing of the bronchioles.
what disorder could be classed as a ‘chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways’?
ASTHMA
What are some symptoms/ Hallmarks of asthma?
- Cough (worse at night/ mornings)
- Recurrent wheezing
- Breathlessness
- Chest tightness
- Increased mucous secretion
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
What’s BRONCHIECTASIS (not bronchitis!)
It’s a permanent destruction and dilation of the airways associated with severe infection or obsturctions.
eg- TB, measles
Give some possible causes of RESTRICTIVE respiratory disorders…
(interstitial lung disease)
- Vasculitides
- Occupational/ environmental
- Drugs / radiations
- Hypersensitivity
- Immunosupressant/ transplantation
- Infections
- Sarcoidosis
and more….
Some possible symptoms of restrictive lung disease?
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- Rapid Breathing (tachypnea)
- End respiratory crackles
- Eventually cyanosis without wheezing
- May lead to secondary pulmonary hypertension and right sided failure
- Scarring and destruction of lung
Name some vascular respiratory disorders…
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary Hypertension and Pulmonary Embolism are both types of what kind of respiratory disorder…
They are vascular disorders
What is a pulmonary embolism
It’s the blockage of a main or branch pulmonary artery by an embolus. Ususally from a DVT (95%)
Some possible signs that someone has a pulmonary embolism?
- Abrupt onset pleuratic chest pain
- SOB
- Hypoxia
- Increased pulmonary vascular resistance- right sided ventricular failure
What can happen if a pulmonary embilism if left untreated?
- It can cause a central/ peripheral emboli
- Can cause pulmonary haemorrhage
- Can cause pulmonary infarction (blocked pulmonary vessels causing lung tissue to die)
What condition would describe this:
Accumulation of fluid in the air spaces and parenchyma of the lung/
This describes
PULMONARY OEDEMA
What is pulmonary oedema?
It’s the accumulation of fluid in the air spaces and parenchyma of the lung
TRUE or FALSE:
There’s one type of pulmonary oedema.
FALSE : There is many
- Oedema due to alveolar injury (infections, shock/trauma)
- Oedema of undetermined origin (neurogenic/ high altitude)
- Haemodynamic oedema (incresed venous pressure - Lventricular failure or nephrotic syndrome liver failure)
Name some types of Pulmonary oedema?
- Odema due to injury (infection, shock or trauma)
- Undetermined origin (neurogenic/ high altitude)
- Haemodynamic oedema from increased pressue (Left ventricular failure, nephrotic syndrome liver failure)
If someone has these sympoms, what likely is their condition:
- SOB
- Pink frothy sputum
- ‘Heavy wet lungs’
Pulmonary Oedema
What are some of the characteristics/ symptoms of pulmonary oedema
- Shortness of breath
- Pink frothy sputum
- Heavy wet lungs
- Enlarged alveolar capillaries
- Fluid accumilation in basal regions
What does dyspnea mean?
It means shortness of breath
What’s a Pneumothorax?
A pneumothorax is when there’s air in the pleural cavity.
Can be caused/made worse by ephysema, asthma, tb, trauma, and unknown causes (idiopathic)
What is ‘Atelectasis:
It’s a partial or full collapse of the lung/ incomplete expansion of lungs.
Causes reduced oxygenation and predisposes to infection.
It’s reversible.
TRUE or FALSE:
There’s 1 type of respiratory failure..
FALSE:
There’s 2 types of respiratory failure.
-TYPE 1: When the alveoli fill with water (injured lungs/ pulmonary oedema). For example pneumonia
-TYPE 2: When you can’t even get air into lungs due to obstruction/ constriction (COPD, neuromuscluar disease, thoracic wall disease, asthma)
What type of respiratory failure would encompass pneumonia
Type 1
Because this type of respiratory failure is when fluid, blood, pus fills the lungs. Would also include pulmonary oedema. The fluid stops the air from getting into the blood, giving the name of hypoxemia to type 1.
Which type of respiratory failure is also called Hypoxemic?
Type 1
Because there’s fluid which stops the air from getting into the blood, giving the name of hypoxemia
What type of respiratory failure comes about due to an obstruction/constriction, preventing air from getting into the lungs
Type 2 hypoxia..
Could be due to COPD, reduced respiratory drive, neuromuscular disease, thoracic wall disease, asthma.
