Year 1 - Lung disease and practical skills Flashcards
What is asthma?
Variable and recurring inflammatory disease of the bronchi and bronchioles
What is emphysema?
A condition in which the alveoli are damaged and enlarged, causing breathlessness
What is bronchitis?
Irritation and inflammation of the bronchi
What is lung cancer?
Malignant tumor arising in the lungs
What is Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR)?
Measure of the fastest possible flow of exhaled air after a maximal inspiration
What is the device to measure peak expiratory flow rate?
Peak flow meter
What is the function of the peak flow meter?
It measures peak expiratory flow rate
What is the unit for peak expiratory flow rate?
Litres per minute
What does low peak expiratory rate indicate?
Patient may have asthma/bronchitis/emphysema
What is an example of a comparison method which is the best way for the peak flow measurements work?
- Before and after a treatment, to see if a patient’s condition is worsening or getting better;
- To see if a particular trigger is causing symptoms
Peak flow values can be compared in a table of…
Expected normal values, to see if anything is wrong
What does a spirometer can measure?
FEV1; forced vital capacity
FEV1
Volume of air that can forcibly be blown out in first 1 second, after full inspiration
What is forced vital capacity (FVC)?
Maximum volume of air a person can exhale from the lungs after maximum inhalation
Which is a more detailed and accurate measure of lung function: spirometer or peak flow measurements?
Peak flow measurements
Causes of measurement error during a peak flow measurement
- Patient not blowing as hard as they can;
- Patient not putting their lips right round the mouthpiece
What is obstructive lung disease?
Narrowed airways result in resistance to airflow during breathing. Examples are asthma, emphysema, bronchitis
What is restrictive lung disease?
Causes a decrease in maximum achievable lung volume during inspiration. e.g. scarring of lung tissue due to infection
Diagnostic features of obstructive lung disease
FEV1 and peak expiratory flow reduced; forced vital capacity unchanged
Forced vital capacity reduced
Diagnostic feature of restrictive lung disease
Common causes of lung disease
Infection, atmospheric pollutants, smoking
Symptoms of bronchitis
Shortness of breath, wheezing, persistent cough
Symptoms of emphysema
Shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing out, in severe cases patients need to breathe oxygen through a mask
Reason people with emphysema have particular difficulty with breathing out
Alveoli loose their elasticity
Symptoms of asthma
Wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath. These happen intermittently, are often worse at night and early in the morning and seem to happen in response to a trigger like exercise or an allergy (such as to pollen or animal fur)
Symptoms of lung cancer
Coughing up blood, persistent cough, weight loss
