Smoking + Clinical Infectious Disease

Question 1

List 4 infectious diseases related to smoking.

Answer 1

1. Cancers
2. COPD
3. Heart disease
4. Stroke

Question 2

What is the relationship between smoking and infectious disease?

Answer 2

Increases risk of infections!
Resp. tract diseases due to decreased respiratory capacity, impaired mucocillary clearance + increased carriage of pathogenic bacteria:
- Invasive pneumococcal disease
- Community-acquired pneumonia
- Influenza
- Tuberculosis
Periodontitis, Meningococcal disease + surgical wound infections

Question 3

What does nicotine do to cause harm?

Answer 3

• Increases levels of circulating catecholamines = Increases heart rate, BP, peripheral vascular tone (which increases risk of accelerated hypertension in people with severe hypertension)
• Increases metabolic rate and suppresses appetite

Question 4

What does tar do to cause harm?

Answer 4

Carcinogens in cigarette smoke

Question 5

What does CO do to cause harm?

Answer 5

Binds to Hb, reduces O2 carrying capacity of the blood

Question 6

What does CO do in pregnancy to cause harm?

Answer 6

Causes foetal hypoxia, which is the most important adverse effect of smoking on the foetus.

Question 7

What do the oxidant gases in cigarettes do to cause harm?

Answer 7

Increase tendency of the blood to clot, increasing risk of myocardial infarction and stroke.

Question 8

Why do we need smoking cessation services?

Answer 8

• To improve access and choice to services and stop smoking aids.
• To assist in the delivery of the Public Service agreement targets outlined in the NHS Improvement plan.
• To reduce smoking related illnesses and deaths to help people to give up smoking
• To improve the health of the population by reducing exposure to passive smoke

Question 9

What are the risks of passive smoking?

Answer 9

Children/Babies are:

• more prone to asthma, ear, nose and chest infections
• increased risk of dying from cot death
• more likely to be smokers when older
• do less well at reading and reasoning skills
• increased risk of developing COPD and cancer as adults

Adults are:

• increased risk of lung cancer and heart disease
• asthma etc. can be made worse

Question 10

What is NRT?

Answer 10

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Question 11

What different formulations of NRT are there?

Answer 11

Gum, Patch, Lozenge, Tablets, Sprays, Inhalators

Question 12

What formulations of NRT can be obtained via a PGD?

Answer 12

• NiQuitin Lozenge
• Nicorette Patch, Spray or Gum
• Champix (Varencicline)

Question 13

What are the benefits of Electronic cigarettes?

Answer 13

• 95% less harmful than smoking

- Increases chances of stopping smoking in the long term (if using EC with nicotine)

Question 14

What are the negatives of electronic cigarettes?

Answer 14

• Some ingredients can cause more detrimental damage, like vaping in America trend with teens being hospitalised