Lecture 8: Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Flashcards
describe conducting airways
we have movement, we breathe in and we need that to go to our respiratory zones for gas exchange to happen
We have movement from conduction to resp zones, but air has to get down to the gas exchange for it to be functional
When pts lightly breathe/hyperventilate/struggle to breathe what happens
not enough gets into our respiratory zones which decreases the oxygen
When people start breathing quickly they do not have effective gas exchange, and CO2 levels increase, O2 decrease
The O2 in our venous blood is not 0 - so we are not using all of our o2 because we have a reserve, but ongoing distress we lose this reserve
Breathing too quickly=not effective gas exchange=increase in Co2 levels and decrease in O2 levels
*slow down their breathing
Body has defence mechanisms- but too much distress won’t help
How do we take majority of meds that help w SOB
we inhale them, so we need to breathe deeply so they get to where they need to be
As we go down to our resp zones it gets smaller and smaller, and if someone is struggling to breathe and takes a puffer then it wont get to our resp zone (where we want it because its more affected down there)
does blood that comes into our heart is it full of O2 or not
Blood that comes into our heart is venous, has lower O2 level and higher CO2 level and goes thru pulm sys and surrounds end zones and in those the concentration (in resp zones) is high O2, low CO2
Generally when our body detects that there is no o2 what happens.
- Brain dilates the vessels to improve perfusion - going to improve o2 delivery
- True in body except in alveoli - because when u have an obstructive condition is there good o2 concentration - but we have trouble breathing out.
- In alveolar it is still returning blood
- Body and lungs say we don’t want there to be blood flow around alveolar because no o2 to exchange with
is pulm sys high or low pressure
Pulmonary sys: low pressure - so when a bunch of vascular beds have constriction - increases the pressure so you now have R side of heart pumping into a higher pressure w can cause R sided HF. This can be a cause of pulmonary HTN.
what does rly advanced COPD sound like
sounds like nothing because there is no air movement
what does COPD sound like
wheezing
what do we want bronchodilation
bronchodilation + reduction of mucous so gas exchange can happen
what is obstructive pulmonary diseases
- most common chronic lung diseases
- include conditions characterized by increased airflow resistance as a result of airway obstruction or narrowing
what is airway obstruction caused by
- accumulation of secretions
- edema
- inflammation of airways
- bronchospasms of smooth muscles
- destruction of lung tissue
- some combination
why is it bad to have trouble breathing out
bc we are trapping stuff in
why is mucus important in the resp tract / why is too much mucus bad
Trouble breathing out - so we are trapping stuff in
Mucosal lining is meant to produce mucus
Normal to produce mucus to line the airway to trap pathogens - irritants result in excess mucous which impacts the ability to have gas exchange
why does asthma occur
- occurs as a result of environmental effects on airways
exposure to allergens or irritants initiates an inflammatory cascade involving multiple cell types, mediators, and chemokines
what happens in asthma
- airway hyperresponsiveness leading to wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and cough
- results in airway inflammation and bronchoconstriction (degree of constriction is related to the degrees of airway inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness, and exposure to endogenous and exogenous triggers
is asthma reversible
episodic and reversible
what is asthma
thickening of the airway, and secretion/mucous obstruction (thickened airway wall)
Not usually admitted as an adult w this, usually discharged from emerge w inhaler or whatnot, you can also age out of this - don’t know why
what is bronchoconstriction in asthma
relates to responsiveness, exposure, irritant dependent, amount of inflammation (really depends on person, some are rly controlled others an irritant can make it extremely bad)
One of the most common cause of chronic illness in Canada - don’t need to know this though just good to know
describe the early-phase response of asthma
- characterized by congestion
- peak within 30-60 minutes
- vascular congestion
- edema formation
- production of thick, tenacious mucus
- bronchial muscle spasm
- thickening of airway walls
immediate
Doesn’t always progress to the late phase
Take their rescue inhaler and they can mediate that, reduce bronchoconstriction and whatnot but some ppl obviously progress
describe late-phase response for asthma
- primary characteristic is inflammation
- peak 5-12 hours after exposure
- occurs in only 30% to 50% of pts
- can be more severe than early phase and last for 24 hours or longer
Can be prevented
More severe
Going to last longer
- half of ppl w asthma have it poorly controlled
what are risk factors for asthma
- family history of asthma and/or allergy (eczema, allergic rhinitis)
- exposure, in infancy, to high levels of antigen such as house dust mites
- exposure to tobacco smoke or chemical irritants in the workplace
triggers for asthma
- resp infections
- allergens
- exercise/cold
- nose and sinus problems
- drugs and food additives
- gastroesophageal reflux disease
- air pollutants
- emotional stress
why can resp infection be a trigger for asthma
causes increased inflammation in tracheobronchial system
why can allergens be a trigger for asthma
may be seasonal or year-round, depending on exposure to allergen