PULM Week 2 Flashcards
define hypoxia
failure of oxygenation at the tissue and cellular level
define hypoxemia
low PO2 in the blood
specifically, hypoxemia is determined by measuring PO2 in the arterial blood (PaO2)
define anoxia
total depletion of oxygen levels
extreme form of hypoxia
define asphyxia
severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from abnormal breathing (i.e choking)
list possible causes of hypoventilation
- depression of the CNS by drugs
- inflammation, trauma or hemorrhage in the brainstem
- abnormal spinal cord pathway
- disease of the motor neurons of the brain stem/spinal cord
- disease of nerves supplying the respiratory muscles
- disease of the neuromuscular junction
- disease of respiratory muscles
- abnormality of the chest wall
- upper airway obstruction
why will there always be a slight differential between arterial and alveolar PO2?
- incomplete diffusion
- ventilation and perfusion are not perfectly matched even in healthy individuals
- a small % of bronchial arterial blood is collected by the pulmonary veins after it has perfused the bronchi and its O2 has been partially depleted
what does an A-a difference of > 10-20 mmHg indicate?
lungs aren’t transferring O2 properly
describe the effect on A-a gradient in the following situations, plus whether the patients with these conditions would respond to supplemental O2
- low FiO2
- alveolar hypoventilation
- diffusion abnormality
- shunt
- V/Q mismatch
- normal A-a; responsive to supp O2
- normal A-a; responsive to O2
- normal OR elevated A-a; responsive to O2
- elevated (in R->L shunt) A-a; NOT responsive to O2
- elevated A-a; responsive to O2
define alveolar hypoventilation
low alveolar ventilation
A-a is normal but PaCO2 is elevated
*hypoxemia can be addressed through increasing FiO2 but hypercapnia needs to be addressed through mechanical ventilation
what are diffusion abnormalities and how do they cause hypoxemia
in disease states, impaired diffusion can occur when there is increased thickness of the physical separation between alveolar gas and capillary blood and a shorter pulmonary transit time (i.e during exercise)
A-a gradient is normal at rest but may be elevated during exercise
PaCO2 is normal
can be caused by interstitial lung disease
what is a V/Q mismatch and how does it cause hypoxemia
most common disease state
involves unequal movement of blood to areas of less perfusion
A-a gradient is elevated but PaCO2 is normal
for efficient gas exchange to occur, air must reach the regions of the lung that are being adequately perfused by blood
normal V/Q ratio for lungs is 0.8-1 (alveolar ventilation is 4 L/min while cardiac output is 5 L/min)
even in healthy lungs the V/Q ratio isn’t perfect because both ventilation and blood are gravity dependent with both increasing as you move down the lungs–> blood flow is 5X more in the bottom versus the top of the lungs, and ventilation is 2X more in bottom versus top
gravity dependent V/Q variations can be as much as 0.7 at bottom vs 0.3 at top
you want more air where there is more blood to perfuse
what body parts/cavities are lined with respiratory mucosa?
upper respiratory tract nasal tube auditory tube larynx trachea main bronchi
what are the 4 main types of obstructive lung disease
COPD
asthma
bronchiectasis
bronchiolitis obliterans
what are the 4 main symptoms of chronic obstructive airway disease
cough
sputum
dyspnea
wheeze
what causes wheezing?
airway narrowing, especially due to bronchoconstriction (thus you see it especially in asthma)
what is sputum
a mix of saliva, airway lining liquid, mucous and pus expelled from the respiratory system during coughing
what causes sputum production?
different disease states caused by infection, smoking or genetics (i.e alpha 1 anti-trypsin deficiency) can lead to pathologies that increase chronic sputum production
may be due to mucous gland enlargement and hyperplasia of goblet cells (i.e in asthma)
chronic inflammation can also lead to formation of pus which could add to mucous to become purulent sputum
what causes foamy sputum?
pulmonary edema
how do smoking and inflammation influence sputum production?
smoking and inflammation enlarge the mucous glands that line the airway walls in the lungs, causing goblet cell metaplasia and leading to healthy cells being replaced by more mucous secreting cells
inflammation associated with COPD can also damage the muco-ciliary transport system which is responsible for clearing mucous from the airways
causes of dyspnea
increased work of breathing due to increased airway resistance–> hypoxemia, hyperinflation
increased resistance can be due to smooth muscle contraction, wall thickening, luminal occlusion, decreased lung elasticity, or obliteration
mediated by inflammatory responses
list and describe the 5 mechanisms of dyspnea
- SMOOTH MUSCLE CONTRACTION (asthma)–> shortening of the airway’s smooth muscle–> radius of the airway contracts–> decrease in airway diameter–> increased resistance–> dyspnea
- THICKENING/REMODELLING (asthma)–> persistent inflammation causes remodelling/thickening of the airway epithelium and basement membrane–> decreased diameter of airway leads to increased resistance and dyspnea
- OCCLUSION OF AIRWAY–> i.e due to mucous (asthma)
- DECREASED LUNG ELASTICITY–> i.e in COPD, emphysema–> tissues create connective tissue framework–> increased collagen
- OBLITERATION–> i.e in bronchiolitis–> destruction–> healing–> fibrosis (obliteration)
clinical definition of COPD
progressive development of irreversible airway obstruction
chronic bronchitis + emphysema
hyperinflation of lungs
associated with inflammatory response to noxious particles, especially those in cigarette smoke
onset usually around 40 yo
frequent sputum production
infrequent allergies
symptoms are persistent
what are the diagnostic criteria for COPD
productive cough on most days for at least 3 consecutive months in 2 successive years
where does COPD affect in the body
central airways, peripheral airways, lung parenchyma, pulmonary vasculature
risk factors for COPD
SMOKING
occupational
alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency
COPD pathogenesis
2 forms, but most patients have elements of both
- chronic bronchitis–> cough with sputum production for 3 months/2 successive years–> associated with mucous gland hypertrophy and goblet cell metaplasia in cartilaginous airways (bronchi)–> fibrosis and narrowing of airways
- emphysema–> permanent enlargement of alveoli and destruction of alveolar walls (without significant fibrosis)–> decrease in elastic recoil–> airways collapse on expiration–> increase in compliance causes easily inspiration but difficult expiration–> caused by imbalance between locally acting proteolytic enzymes released by inflammatory cells and anti-proteolytic mechanisms endogenous to the lungs–> reactive oxygen species damage the parenchyma
what are the differences between
- centriacinar
- panacinar
- distal acinar
COPD
- centriacinar = proximal acinar central portion, associated with CIGS, upper lobes are affected
- panacinar = all parts of acinus, associated with alpha1antitrypsin, lower lobes are affected
- distal acinar = alveolar ducts and sacs are involved, common in tall, thin adults in which large bullae can rupture, leading to spontaneous pneumothorax
pathology of COPD
inflammatory cells: CD8+ and CD4+T-lymphocytes, neutrophils, macrophages, B-lymphocytes
mediators: LTB4, IL-8, TNF alpha
causing squamous metaplasia and parenchymal damage, glandular enlargement, and goblet cell hyperplasia
dilatation and destruction of air spaces distal to the terminal bronchiole without obvious fibrosis
decreased elastic recoil
symptoms of COPD
dyspnea, hypoxia, hyperinflation
chronic cough
sputum production
exertional dyspnea is an early symptom
wheezing and chest tightness is less common
what is the natural history of COPD
gradual decrease in FEV1 over time, with episodes of acute exacerbation
COPD on physical exam
breath sound intensity decreases
hyperinflation results in increase resonance
crackles at onset of inspiration
ronchi (wheeze)–higher prevalence in patients with dyspnea, not a consistent finding and not related to severity
prolonged expirational time (listen over the larynx–greater than 4 seconds is a severe obstruction)
weight loss
severe sign is barrel chest, pursed lip breathing, emaciation, inguinal hernia, cyanosis, RHF
COPD on spirometry
FEV1 low ( doesnt significantly change
increased TLC, FRC, RV due to air trapping
lowered DLCO (due to decreased alveolar surface area and alveolar capillary beds)
COPD on CT and CXR
CT–> direct visualization of emphysematous sacs–> can establish and quantify severity of emphysema
CXR–> functional diagnosis–> CXR rules others out, and can only suggest COPD (i.e upon visualization of hyperinflation, flattened diaphragm, cardiac silhouette elongated, increased retrosternal space, hypertranslucency
clinical definition of asthma
chronic inflammation disorder of airways that results in episodes of reversible bronchospasm, causing airflow obstruction
onset usually less than 40 yo
smoking is not causal
infrequent sputum production
frequent allergies
symptoms are intermittent and variable
where does asthma effect
central and peripheral airways
risk factors for asthma
URTIs allergens irritants drugs preservatives cold air viral infections atopy
asthma pathogenesis
bronchoconstriction mainly, but can also include airway edema, vascular congestion, luminal occlusion with exudates
irritants–> HISTAMINE, leukotrienes, spasmogens, prostaglandins, growth factors etc… –> these cause airway muscle contraction, pulmonary vasculature dilation and leakage, mucous gland secretion, airway remodeling
extrinsic asthma = TYPE I HYPERSENSITIVITY
-involves sensitization with inhalation of allergen–> dendritic cell–> Th2 (IL 4, 5, 13)–> B cell–> IgE binds to mast cells–> deregulation of mast cells with second exposure
describe the early asthmatic response
within minutes
mast cells (with histamine, leukotrienes) cause mucosal edema and bronchospasm
describe the late asthmatic response
within hours
mast cells (with IL 4, 5, GM-CSF)–> eosinophils (cytokines, leukotrienes)–> tissue inflammation and injury, bronchospasms
*non-asthmatics generate a Th1 response whereas asthmatics generate a Th2 response
what is intrinsic asthma
mechanism is unknown, responsive to changes in temperature, exercise etc…
pathology of asthma
inflammatory cells: CD4+ lymphocytes, EOSINOPHILS, MAST CELLS, neutrophils, epithelial cells
mediators: LTD4, IL 4 and 5, TNF alpha and many others
fragile epithelium, thickened basement membrane, goblet cell hyperplasia, smooth muscle hypertrophy
symptoms of asthma
wheezing, increased on expiration
dyspnea, chest tightness, cough
symptoms are absent between attacks
particularly bad at night and early morning
asthma on the physical exam
during attacks:
tachy > 110 bpm
PULSUS PARADOXUS: > 10 mmHg from inspiration to expiration
use of accessory muscles
wheezing
hyperinflation
allergy
asthma spirometry results
decreased FEV1
FEV1:FVC >12% ad absolute reversibility
METHADOLINE CHALLENGE TEST–>
asthma on CXR
normal
may show some bronchial thickening or mucoid impaction
clinical definition of bronchiolitis obliterans
rare and life threatening form of non-reversible obstructive lung disease in which bronchioles are compressed and narrowed due to scarring/inflammation
characterized by submucosal and peribronchiolar fibrosis that causes CONCENTRIC narrowing of the bronchiolar lumen
most commonly seen following inhalation injury, transplantation (of bone marrow or lung) or in the context of rheumatoid lung or inflammatory bowel disease
where does bronchiolitis obliterans affect
membranous and respiratory bronchioles
immediately adjacent alveoli
risk factors for bronchiolitis obliterans
toxic inhalation
connective tissue disease
chronic infection