Respiritory Pharmacology Flashcards
(11 cards)
Useless coughs
Persistent and dry - non productive
Asthma eg
Useful coughs
Expels secretions - so shouldn’t be suppressed
PRODUCTICE
Eg: chest infection/pneumonia
Mechanism of a cough
Cough receptors or lung irritant receptors
Cough centre in medulla
Vagal stimulation leading to cough
Dry cough suppressants - AFFERENT
- stop smoking
- if cough is coming above larynx = lint uses
- if in trachea = steam
EFFERENT dry cough suppressants
Treat medullary cough centre - antitussives
- opioids - codiene - co-codamol (codeine 8 + 500 paracetamol = over the counter) don’t take more than 5 days
- non-opioids - dextromethorpran, noscapine
- sedative - diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine
How can you treat productive coughs
Expectorants and mucolytics = treat thick mucus
What do expectorants do
Produce more sputum - makes more but thinner
- guaiphenesin, ipecacuanha, oils
Don’t usually use
What do mucolytics do
Thin the sputum = easier to cough up
Things that cause chronic lung disease coughs
- inflammation
- bronchial constriction
- mucus plugs
Asthma trigger pathway
Antigen crosses epithelial layer
Eosinophils and b cells produce IgE antibody
Antibody binds to mast cell then it produces mediators
Pharmacological and clinical effects = bronchial constriction
Treatment of asthma
Avoidance of antigen = prevention
Non specific reduction of bronchial activity
Dilation of narrowed bronchi
