Lectures6-10 Flashcards
(247 cards)
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by:
Paroxysmal symptoms of cough, wheezing, dyspnea and chest tightness, usually related to triggers
Airway narrowing that is partially or completely reversible
Why does asthma have increasing prevalence?
Improved hygiene, increased indoor air pollution, increased incidence of early-onset respiratory viral infections, survival or premature infants, increased awareness & recognition of asthma but pts and clinicians
What are some risk factors for asthma?
M>F, Low SES, urban dwellers, food allergies, family hx, atopy
What is atopy?
A genetic disposition to develop an allergic reaction and produce elevated levels of IgE upon exposure to an environmental antigen and especially one inhaled or ingested
What are some examples of atopy?
Atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma
Patho of asthma
Smooth muscle constriction around airways, airway wall edema, intra-luminal mucus accumulation, inflammatory cell infiltration of submucosa and basement membrane thickening
What immune cells are involved in asthma?
Eosinophils, activated helper T cells, mast cells, neutrophils
Fatal asthma
Severe collagen deposition of basement membrane, desquamation of epithelial lining with loss of ciliated cells, mucosal edema, airway smooth muscle hypertrophy, luminal plugging with inflammatory cells
What are the 3 main physiological consequences of asthma?
- Chronic airways inflammation
- Reversible or partially reversible bronchoconstriction
- Increased airways hyperresponsiveness to a variety of stimuli
What are the “classic’ sign and symptoms of asthma
Intermittent dyspnea, persistent cough, sudden onset or persistent wheezing
Additional features of asthma
Chest tightness, cold that take >10 days to resolve, apparent triggers, symptoms awake pt from sleep, exertional symptoms, seasonal, poor school performance and fatigue
The cough of asthma
Usually dry hacking, nocturnal, seasonal, response to specific exposures, lasts >3 weeks, frequently the sole complaint
What are some common asthma triggers?
Pollen, viral URIs, exercise, changes in air temp, perfumes, pets, molds, NSAIDs
What can be seen on PE for asthma?
Tachypnea, hypoxia if acute flare, cant speak full sentences without stopping to breath*, high-pitched musical wheeze
The wheeze of asthma
Initially with expiration but in severe cases also with inspiration
Critically severe asthma causes what?
Decreased breath sounds “silent chest/absent breath sounds”
Medical emergency: “the patient is very tight, not moving air”
Extrapulmonary PE findings associated with asthma
Pale, swollen nasal turbinates suggestive of allergic rhinitis, nasal polyps, atopic dermatitis
What diagnostic studies are used for asthma?
PFTs, spirometry with bronchodilator response testing, bronchoprovocation challenge, peak flow, CXR, allergy skin test
PFTs
Measurement of lung volumes, quantitation of diffusion capacity, measurement fo forced inspiratory and expiratory flow rates
What will PFTs show for an airway obstruction?
FEV1 decreased, FEV1/FVC ratio <70%
Vital capacity
Maximum amount of air a person can expel form the lungs after a maximum inhalation
What should you do if the baseline spirometry demonstrates an airway obstruction?
Administer albuterol 400mcg by MDI -> repeat spirometry 10 mins after
What suggests acute bronchodilator responsiveness?
Increase in FEV1 of >12%
What does the peak flow meter measure?
Peak expiratory flow