Asthma Flashcards
(22 cards)
What is asthma
Chronic respiratory condition
Airways become inflamed and narrow
Difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath
Symptoms of asthma
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
Frequent coughing
Chest tightness
Especially at night/ EARLY in the morning
Causes of asthma
In general can be genetic or environmental
Triggers for attacks/exacerbated symptoms include pollen, dust, mold, air pollution, respiratory infection, smoke, exercise and cold air.
How is asthma diagnosed
- medical history
- lung function tests - spirometry
- peak flow test
- allergy tests for triggers
What are the long term control medications for asthma
- inhaled corticosteroids
- leukotriene modifiers
Prevents symptoms and overall inflammation
Quick relief medications used for asthma
Beta-agonists - relax muscles around airways (bronchodilators)
Key words to describe asthma
- chronic inflammation
- airway hyper responsiveness
- variable airway obstruction, with or without treatment
Give examples of some subgroup classifications of asthma
Atopic/allergic
Non/eosinophilic
Occupational
Excersise induced
Describe extrinsic asthma
- family history
- childhood
- eczema/rhinitis (may have atopic triad)
- positive skin tests
- episodic
Describe intrinsic asthma
- adulthood
- negative skin tests
- persistent symptoms
- no clear precipitating factors
- excaserbated by infections
- aspirin sensitive group falls into this
Describe the pathology of asthma
- chronic inflammatory airway disorder
- smooth muscle is hyper reactive
- increased basal tone
- mucus hyper secretion
- mucosal oedema
What does increased basal tone mean
Excessive tension of the airway smooth muscle at rest - overly active
What does mucosal oedema mean
Build up of oedema (tissue fluid) within the mucosa
Is asthma restrictive or obstructive
Obstructive
Difference between obstructive and restrictive respiritory disease
Obstructive - stops air from leaving/entering lungs as effectively as blocked
Restrictive - less air can fill the lungs as total volume able to be inspired lowered
In asthma FEV1/FVC ratio will be:
Reduced
Hallmarks of asthma
- variable
- intermittent
- worse at night
- worse in the morning
- trigger provoked
Signs of asthma
- tachypnoea (fast breathing)
- wheeze
- use of accessory muscles of respiration
- paradoxical pulse
- over-inflation of the chest
What is paradoxical pulse
A large decrease in systolic blood pressure and pulse wave amplitude in inspiration
Why may asthma patients have a tremor, horse voice or oral thrush?
Using B antagonist inhaler too much = tremor as tachypnea
Steroids cause thrush
Reliever inhalers: give some examples and what classification they fall under
beta 2 adrenorecepror agonists - stimulate beta 2 adrenoreceptors and cause relaxation of bronchial smooth muscle
Salbutamol, salmeterol, efomoterol, terbutaline
What type of medications are preventers of asthma attacks?
Glucocorticoids:
Bind to cystosolic receptors and affects transcriptions and translation - reduces hyperresponsiveness by causing potential anti-inflammatory agents
