Signs of Respiratory Disease

Question 1

airway smooth muscle tone

Answer 1

Bronchoconstriction or dilation
Mediated by neural mechanisms, hormones, mediators
M1 + M3 receptors cause contraction
B2 receptor causes relaxation

Question 2

cough

Answer 2

The sudden noisy expulsion of air through the glottis to clear mucus + other material from the larger airways
removal of noxious substances
high velocity of air flow creates shear forces to separate mucous from airways
Involuntary reflex that together with the mucocillary escalator provide major protection of the larger airways

Question 3

stimuli for coughing

Answer 3

Bronchoconstriction 
Excessive Mucous 
Inhaled particles 
Cold or hot air 
Intramural or extramural pressure 
Epithelial sloughing 
Enhanced epithelial permeability

Question 4

Character of cough - upper airway

Answer 4

harsh, loud, non-productive

Question 5

Character of cough - lower airway

Answer 5

soft muted, productive

Question 6

Character of cough - painful conditions

Answer 6

more muted cough

Question 7

Character of cough - swallowing after coughing

Answer 7

productive

Question 8

bronchoconstriction

Answer 8

Constant component of cough but separate reflex
Slower onset and longer lasting
may increase efficiency of coughing

Question 9

sneezing - define

Answer 9

Superficial reflex that originates in the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity - easily induced by chemical or mechanical stimuli

Question 10

sneezing usually a sign of?

Answer 10

nasal disorders

can be secondary to more distal disorders

Question 11

Causes of tachypnoea and hyperpnoea - Physiological

Answer 11

pain
exertion
heat
anxiety

Question 12

Causes of tachypnoea and hyperpnoea - pathological

Answer 12

response to high CO2, low pH, low O2 
compensation for metabolic acidosis 
excessive environmental heat 
damaged or diseased CNS (resp. centres) 
pain or restriction in structures involved in breathing

Question 13

respiratory distress

Answer 13

clinical sign of laboured breathing
abnormal rate, rhythm and character
nostril flaring
exaggerated intercostal &/or abdominal effort abducted elbows, stridor, anxious expression, inactivity

Question 14

Inspiratory Distress - Causes

Answer 14

Extrathoracic non-fixed airway obstruction - laryngeal hemiplegia, soft palate disorders
Restrictive diseases

Question 15

Expiratory Distress - Causes

Answer 15

Intrathoracic airway obstruction:
Recurrent Airway Obstruction in horses, 
Farmer’s disease in cattle
tracheal collapse in dogs and horses 
In chronic, severe cases, there may be hypertrophy of the body wall

Question 16

Inspiratory + Expiratory Distress - Causes

Answer 16

Extrathoracic Fixed obstruction e.g. intraluminal mass, foreign body

Question 17

Orthopnoea - define

Answer 17

difficulty breathing while recumbent

Question 18

orthopnoea - causes

Answer 18

pleural fluid accumulation
neonates
diaphragmatic hernia
congestive heart failure

Question 19

nasal discharge characteristics

Answer 19

Serous, mucoid, purulent, sanginous (haemorrhagic) or combination
discharge of ingested food material or fluids with certain GI diseases
profuse or scant
continuous or intermittent
unilateral or bilateral
odour

Question 20

Unilateral nasal discharge

Answer 20

tends to originate in structures rostral to the caudal end of the nasal septum
Low volume discharges from lower in the respiratory tract

Question 21

bilateral nasal discharge

Answer 21

caudal structures or bilaterally affected rostral structures

Question 22

Odour of discharge

Answer 22

foul odour may indicate anaerobic infections, necrotizing conditions, or connection to the oral cavity e.g. tooth root infections in horses

Question 23

Presence of food or water/milk in discharge

Answer 23

may indicate dysphagia or communication between oral and nasal cavities e.g. cleft palate

Question 24

epistaxis - define

Answer 24

presence of blood at the external nares

Question 25

haemoptysis - define

Answer 25

presence of blood in the sputum

Question 26

Epistaxis and Haemoptysis - causes

Answer 26

Trauma, coagulopathies, vasculitis, erosive or invasive conditions, exercise associated in horses

Question 27

cyanosis - define

Answer 27

Bluish discolouration of skin, conjunctivae & mucous membranes
Usually arterial O2 < 50 mmHg before visible

Question 28

types of cyanosis

Answer 28

Peripheral cyanosis
Pulmonary cyanosis
Cardiac cyanosis
Acquired cyanosis

Question 29

Peripheral cyanosis

Answer 29

due to poor peripheral perfusion - e.g shock, heart failure

Question 30

Pulmonary cyanosis

Answer 30

hypoxaemia

e.g. V/Q mismatch, alveolar hypoventilation, shunting, diffusion impairment

Question 31

cardiac cyanosis

Answer 31

shunting

Question 32

acquired cyanosis

Answer 32

usually reducing chemical e.g. acetaminophen, nitrates, red maple leaf - methaemoglobin

Question 33

respiratory stridor

Answer 33

Abnormal, intense respiratory sound heard without a stethoscope
Determine if inspiratory or expiratory
Linked gait and respiration in horse
At the trot, breathing and stride rate are independent
At gallop, stride rate and respiratory rate are coupled; inspiration (flight phase) and expiration (limbs extending)

Question 34

Respiratory Stridor - Causes

Answer 34

Fixed or dynamic obstructions e.g. Laryngeal paralysis, stenotic/paralysed nares, nasal masses, soft palate elongation