Resp Flashcards
(125 cards)
Asthma Definition + Cause
recurrent episodes of dyspnoea, cough, wheeze due to reversible airway obstruction
stimuli triggers bronchial constriction, mucosal inflammation and swelling, increased mucous production
Asthma S+S
dyspnoea, cough (nocturnal), wheeze, sputum
hyperinflated chest, hyper-resonant percussion, dec air entry, widespread polyphonic wheeze
Severe Asthma S+S
Inability to complete sentences
HR >110bpm
RR >25/min
PEF 33-50% predicted
Life threatening asthma S+S
Silent chest Confusion Exhaustion Cyanosis: PaO2<8kPa, PaCo2 4.6-6.0, SpO2<92% Bradycardia PEF<33% predicted
If inc PaCO2 = near fatal
Increased probability of asthma
- wheeze, chest tightness, dyspnoea
- diurnal variation
- responds to triggers: exercise, cold air, allergens
- onset after aspirin or beta blockers
- history of atopy
- FH of atopy/asthma
- widespread wheeze heard on auscultation
- unexplained low FEV1/PEF
- unexplained peripheral blood eosinophilia
Asthma precipitants
Cold air, exercise, emotion, allergens, infection, smoking, pollution, NSAIDs, beta-blockers
Asthma Hx factors
precipitants, diurnal variation, exercise tolerance, difficulty sleeping, acid reflux, atopic disease, home: pets, carpet, feather pillows/duvets. occupation, days off
Asthma Ix - Adults
Low prob = Ix or treat other cause, consider referral, if no response to Rx, further Ix or referral
Medium prob = FEV1/FVC ><0.7
High prob = trial of asthma Rx, if successful continue minimum effective dose, if unsuccessful check compliance/technique, if no improvement, refer
Asthma Rx
Conservative = stop smoking, avoid precipitants, lose weight, check technique, monitor PEF 2x/day, self adjust rx, breathing techniques
Pharm =
- move up if uncontrolled, down if control for >3m
- rescue prednisolone
1. occasional short acting beta-2-agonist –> if use >1/day or nighttime
2. standard dose inhaled steroid: beclometasone
3. long acting beta-2-agonist
4. higher dose steroid, modified release oral theophylline, modified release oral b-2-agonist tablets, oral leukotriene receptor antagonist
5. regular oral prednisolone
Bronchiectasis About
= chronic inflammation of bronchi and bronchioles causing permanent dilatation and thinning
= mainly H influenzae, Strep pneumoniae, Staph aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Bronchiectasis Causes
Congenital: cystic fibrosis, Young’s syndrome, primary ciliary dyskinesia, Kartagener’s syndrome
Post-infection: measles, pertussis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, TB, HIV
Other: bronchial obstruction (tumour, foreign body), allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, hypogammaglobulinaemia, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, idiopathic
Bronchiectasis S+S
Persistent cough, copious purulent sputum, intermittent haemoptysis
Clubbing, coarse inspiratory crepitations, wheeze (asthma, ABPA)
Bronchiectasis Ix
Sputum culture
CXR: cystic shadows, thickened bronchial walls (tramline and ring shadows)
HRCT chest: assess extent and distribution of disease
Spirometry: obstructive pattern
Bronchoscopy: locate site of haemoptysis, exclude obstruction and obtain samples for culture
Serum immunoglobulins, CF sweat test, Aspergillus precipitins or skin-prick test RAST and total IgE
Chronic Asthma Ix
PEF monitoring
Diurnal variation of >20% on >3d a week for 2wks
Spirometry: obstructive defect = dec FEV1/FVC and inc RV
Usually 15% improvement in FEV1 after beta-2-agonists or steroids
CXR: hyperinflation
Skin prick test for allergens
Histamine or methacholine challenge
Aspergillus serology
Bronchiectasis Rx
Airway clearance techniques and mucolytics
○ Chest physiotherapy and flutter valve may aid sputum expectoration and mucus drainage
Antibiotics
- Pseudomonas requires oral ciprofloxacin or IV antibiotics
- If >3 exacerbations/yr consider long term antibiotics
Bronchodilators
- Nebulised salbutamol
- In those with asthma, COPD, CF, ABPA
Corticosteroids
- Prednisolone + itraconazole for ABPA
Surgery for localised disease or for severe haemoptysis
COPD
progressive obstructive airway with little/no reversibility
= chronic bronchitis and emphysema
- if >35yrs
- smoking/pollution related
- chronic dyspnoea
- sputum production
- minimal diurnal variation
Chronic bronchitis definition
cough and sputum production on most days for 3m of 2 successive years
Emphysema definition
enlarged alveoli and destruction of alveoli wall
Pink puffers
- Inc alveolar ventilation
- Near normal PaO2 and a normal or low PaCO2
- Breathless but not cyanosed
- May progress to type 1 respiratory failure
Blue bloaters
- Dec alveolar ventilation
- Low PaO2 and high PaCO2
- Cyanosed but not breathless
- May go on to develop cor pulmonale
- Respiratory centres are relatively insensitive to CO2 and they rely on hypoxic drive to maintain respiratory effort
COPD S+S
- Cough
- Sputum
- Dyspnoea
- Wheeze
- Tachypnoea, use of accessory muscles of respiration
- Hyperinflation, dec cricosternal distance (<3cm), dec expansion
- Resonant or hyperresonant percussion note
- Quiet breath sounds, wheeze
- Cyanosis
- Cor pulmonale
COPD Ix
- FBC: inc PCV
- CXR: hyperinflation, flat hemidiaphragms, large central pulmonary arteries, dec peripheral vascular markings, bullae
- CT: bronchial wall thickening, scaring, air space enlargement
- ECG: right atrial and ventricular hypertrophy (cor pulmonale)
- ABG: dec PaO2 +/- hypercapnia
- Spirometry: obstructive and air trapping
(FEV1<80% of predicted, FEV1:FVC ratio <70%, inc TLC, inc RV, dec DLCO in emphysema)
COPD Rx
- SABA/SAMA - FEV1><50%
- LABA or LAMA or LABA+ICS inhaler
- LAMA + LABA/ICS inhaler
- LTOT if PaO2<7.3kPa
- NIV if hypercapnic on LTOT
Smoking cessation advice
Encourage exercise and diet advice with supplements
Mucolytics: productive cough
Disabilities may cause serious depression: screen for this
Respiratory failure
Oedema: diuretics
Flu and pneumococcal vaccinations
BODE (BMI, airflow Obstruction, Dyspnoea, Exercise capacity) index helps predict outcome and number and severity of exacerbations
COPD Acute Rx
- nebulised bronchodilators: salbutamol + ipratropium
- O2 start 24-28%
- steroids: IV hydrocortisone 200mg + oral prednisolone 30mg OD
- Abx if evidence of infection: amoxicillin 500mg/8h PO
- physiotherapy to aid sputum expectoration
if no response to nebulisers and steroids: IV aminophylline
if no response,
- NIPPV if RR>30, acidotic, PaCO2 rising
- resp stimulating drug: doxapram 1.5-4mg/min IV in those who can’t have mechanical ventilation
if pH<7.26 = consider intubation