Obstructive Vs Restrictive Lung Disease

Question 1

HY conditions obstructive vs restrictive conditions

Answer 1

Obstructive
- Asthma.
- COPD (chronic bronchitis + emphysema).
- Old age (i.e., healthy person age 70 vs 20).

Restrictive
- Pulmonary fibrosis due to any cause (i.e., idiopathic; radiation; drugs; autoimmune disease).
- Pneumoconioses.

Question 2

Obstructive vs restrictive

Answer 2

Question 3

What is the reason FEV1/FVC is increased or normal in restrictive lung disease?

Answer 3

Due to radial traction, which is a ‘stickiness’ on the outside of the airways that prevents them from closing as rapidly as in obstructive lung disease.

Radial traction occurs from conditions such as fibrosis.

Question 4

What happens to lung volumes in restrictive lung disease?

Answer 4

If you feel iffy on lung volumes, a general point to remember is that they’re basically all decreased in restrictive due to decreased compliance.

Compliance refers to the ability of the lungs to expand and contract.

Question 5

What happens to lung volumes in obstructive lung disease?

Answer 5

Various lung volumes are increased because air cannot get out.

This is due to conditions like asthma or COPD where airflow is limited.

Question 6

What is the effect of lifetime inhalation of particulates on lung health?

Answer 6

It causes an accreted effect on the lungs akin to very slow-onset COPD.

This can occur in non-smokers living in polluted urban environments.

Question 7

How do lung volumes of a healthy 70-year-old compare to a 20-year-old?

Answer 7

Select arrows for the former consistent with obstructive lung disease.

This points to the expected changes in lung function with aging.