Week 5: COPD Flashcards
What is COPD?
Progressive lung disease by persistent airflow limitation
What is a major risk factor of COPD?
Smoking, makes up to 80% of cases
What is the process of COPD?
- Smoking imitates the inflammatory cascade and lung damage
- Chronic Bronchitis occurs, chronic inflammation and mucus hypersecretion
- Destruction of the alveolar walls, airflow limitation
- Chronic hypoxemia, impaired gas exchange
- Cor pulmonale, right sided heart failure secondary to pulmonary hypertension
What’s the difference between active and passive smoking?
Active: directly damages airways and lungs
Passive: Exposure to secondhand smoke increasing risk for respiratory disease
What was Obergs study on passive smoking?
Nicotine was detected in most of the infants urine, they were under the age of 1
What is chronic bronchitis?
Inflammation and excessive mucus production in bronchial tubes
Needs a chronic cough with sputum production for at least 3 months od 2 consecutive years
How is hypertrophy related to chronic bronchitis?
Hypertrophy (growth) of mucus glands, increasing goblet cells in airway epithelium and causes impaired mucus clearance
What are the 2 types of Emphysema?
Centriacinar: associated with smoking primarily affects upper lobes
Panacinar: Associated with alpha 1 antitryspin deficiency
Hypoxemia PA02 levels?
less than 75 mmHg
Hypercapnia in COPD?
PACO2 greater than 45 mmHg
Acidosis may occur in pt with COPD because of what?
CO2 retention
What is secondary to chronic hypoxemia?
High hematocrit
What are clinical signs of cor pulmonale?
Peripheral edema, juglar venous distention and hepatomegaly (enlarged)
What causes the ventricular overload in relation to cor pulmonale?
Chronic hypoxemia leads to pulmonary vasoconstriction which then increases vascular resistance causing the overload
