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Flashcards in Respiratory Deck (42)
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1
Q

what is the main function of the respiratory system?

A

gas exchange

2
Q

what are the 3 main disturbances that can occur in the respiratory system?

A
  • reduced TRANSFER of oxygen (at alveoli)
  • reduced VENTILATION of lungs
  • reduced PERFUSION of lungs
3
Q

what is the medical term for breathlessness

A

dysponea

4
Q

what causes a wheeze?

A

narrowing of the airways

5
Q

define asthma

A

the reversible small airway obstruction

6
Q

what is the incidence of asthma

A
  • increasingly common and can occur at all ages

- 2-5% adults and 5-10% children

7
Q

what is the pathophysiology of asthma?

A

inflammatory / allergic condition

8
Q

the 3 main symptoms of asthma are…

A
  1. cough
  2. wheeze
  3. breathlessness
9
Q

how to assess asthma?

A

a peak flow test

10
Q

give 5 asthma precipitants

A
  1. allergen
  2. irritants
  3. exertion
  4. emotion
  5. NSAIDs
11
Q

what are signs of chronic asthma?

A
  • restriction of activities

- frequent use of inhalers (especially relievers)

12
Q

4 ways to manage asthma

A
  1. inhaled beta-2-agonist
  2. inhaled steroids
  3. combination inhalers
  4. other medications
13
Q

what are signs of life threatening asthma?

A
  • silent chest
  • arrhythmia
  • hypotension
  • poor respiratory effort
14
Q

what category are most likely to have unstable asthma?

A

teenagers with poor compliance

15
Q

3 oral side effects of inhalers?

A

1 dry mouth
2 oral candidiasis
3 altered taste

16
Q

give an example of long acting and short acting beta2- agonist?

A

long acting = salmeterol

short acting = salbutamol

17
Q

give an example of an inhaled steroid?

A

beclamethosone

18
Q

what is contained within the combined inhaler called seretide?

A

salmeterol and fluticasone

19
Q

define COPD

A

airflow obstruction that is not fully reversible

20
Q

what is the main cause of COPD?

A

smoking (can also be occupational exposure)

21
Q

what are the 2 pathophysiological consequences to damage to the lung parenchyma?

A
  1. bronchitis

2. emphsema

22
Q

what is emphsema?

A

alveolar destruction

23
Q

what are the 5 symptoms of COPD?

A
  1. breathlessness
  2. wheeze
  3. chronic cough
  4. sputum production
  5. frequent infections
24
Q

what does FEV1 mean?

A

forced expiratory volume in 1 second

25
Q

what does FVC mean?

A

forced vital capacity

26
Q

4 ways to manage COPD

A
  • stop smoking
  • oral ad inhaled therapies
  • exercise programs
  • home oxygen (if very severe)
27
Q

what is pneumonia?

A

infection of lung tissue

28
Q

what are the acute symptoms of pneumonia?

A
  • sputum production (green)
  • cough
  • breathlessness
  • fever (definitely!)
  • pleuritic chest pain
29
Q

2 investigations that can give a diagnosis of pneumonia?

A
  • chest x-ray

- sputum examination

30
Q

what is pneumothorax?

A

the leak of air into the pleural space (ie a burst lung)

31
Q

2 categories of people who are at high risk of pneumothorax?

A
  1. tall young people who smoke

2. those with chronic lung disease

32
Q

what would a chest xray look like with pneumothorax?

A

loss of lung markings - darkness

33
Q

define sleep apnoea?

A

the collapse of the upper airways during sleep

34
Q

what are the 5 symptoms of sleep apnoea?

A
  • snoring
  • daytime sleeping
  • irritability
  • headaches
  • microsleeps (30s) sleeping when theyre unaware
35
Q

what are 5 risk factors for sleep apnoea?

A
  1. large neck
  2. unusual structure in neck
  3. smoking/alcohol before bed
  4. being overweight
  5. sedative medication
36
Q

3 ways to manage sleep apnoea

A
  • lifestyle changes
  • CPAP (continuous positive airways pressure device)
  • MAD (mandibular advancement device)
37
Q

define interstitial lung disease

A

inflammation of the lung tisssue that can progress to fibrosis.

38
Q

what are the consequences of lung fibrosis?

A

irreversible damage and loss of elasticity but same circumference

39
Q

what type of lung defect is interstitial lung disease and how does it compare to COPD?

A

it is a restrictive lung defect compared to COPD that is an obstructive defect

40
Q

4 causes of interstitial lung disease

A
  • cause totally unknown
  • allergens (birds, drugs, occupational)
  • direct damage (asbestos, coal)
  • auto-immune disease (ie rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis, systemic sclerosis)
41
Q

2 symptoms of interstitial lung disease are..

A
  1. cough

2. breathlessness

42
Q

2 ways to manage interstitial lung disease

A
  • remove underlying cause

- suppress immune system (eg steroids)