Question

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

- what are some of the causes for this disorder?

-what happens? (first 3 slides after title slide)

-what is MODS?

Asthma

- what is it?

- what is meant by extrinsic vs. intrinsic asthma

-why treat with corticosteroids and bronchodilators?

Chronic Bronchitis

-what is chronic bronchitis? How is it different from acute bronchitis?

Emphysema

- what happens?

What is COPD?

What is cor pulmonale and why is it a complication for COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis?

Pneumonia – organisms grow in mucus and cells of nasopharynx but host defenses are unable to prevent the organisms from spreading to lower respiratory tract

-what organisms can cause pneumonia?

Pneumothorax

-what is it?

-difference between open, closed, and tension pneumothorax

-treatment for these

Pulmonary Embolism

-what is it?

-what happens?

SARS

-what does the abbreviation stand for?

-causative agent

Tuberculosis

-main causative organism

-what happens with this infection?

-does a positive TB test mean you necessarily have active disease?

-how is it transmitted?

-note the infection can spread to other organs besides the lungs

-note the treatment for this disorder

List the more common diagnostic methods used for respiratory disorders.

Answer 1

1.Acute respiratory distress syndrome happens in individuals who are critically ill and have severe infection. It is characterised by filling up of alveoli with fluid which makes it difficult to fill enough oxygen in alveoli. This leads to decreased supply of oxygen to other main organs of the body.

Causes are

Severe illness can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Thesevere cases of recent pandemic covid 19 infection also cause this.

Sepsis.

Inhalation of toxic chemicals like gases

Major injuries in head and chest.

Extreme pneumonia etc are some of the reasons for acute respiratory distress syndrome.

As mentioned it leads to filling of alveoli with fluid and lack of supply of oxygen to other parts of the body.

2.MOPS is multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. The main cause for it is due to inflammatory response produced against severe infections like sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome.

3.Asthma is the shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing caused due to inflammation, narrowing and swelling of airways due to filled mucous.

Extrinsic asthma is allergic asthma and intrinsic asthma is non allergic asthma. Extrinsic asthma is caused by mild allergens like pollen, mould , dust etc. Intrinsic asthma can be due to various situations like stress, exercise, infection , change in weather conditions etc.

In asthma inflammatory response produced by body is upregulated. Corticosteroids has antiinflammatory action and suppress the inflammatory response.

In asthma the airway muscles are tightened and constricted . Bronchodilator help to relax the muscles. Bronchodilators types are, Beta adrenergic agonists,anti cholinergic drugs like ipratropium and xanthine derivatives.

Chronic bronchitis is due to long term exposure of lungs to irritants such as cigarette. This long term exposure makes the airway inflamed and produce excess mucous and constrict the airways.

Chronic bronchitis is a serious condition compared to acute bronchitis. Acute bronchitis does not cause permanent breathing difficulty where as chronic bronchitis cause permanent breathing difficulty. The symptoms of acute bronchitis is for short term and it resides. Bacteria or virus infection is the main cause for acute bronchitis where as smoking is the leading cause for chronic bronchitis like COPD.

Emphysema is shortness of breath. The patients with emphysema has damaged alveoli.

COPD is chronic obsessive pulmonary disorder.

In cor pulmonale there is aberrancy in structure and function of right ventricle of the heart. The primary reason for ventricular dysfunction is pulmonary dysfunction. Pulmonary dysfunction will lead to pulmonary hypertension . I

In COPD, emphysema and chronic bronchitis the lungs is not functioning proper. Thus pulmonary hypertension will becomes an additional complication leading to heart failure.

Typical pneumonia is caused by steptococcus pneumoniae. Streptococcus pyrogens and streptococcus agalactiae can also cause pneumonia.

Pneumothorax is collapsed lung. Pneumothorax happens vwhen leakage of air happens in the space between chest and lungs wall.

In open thorax air is filled in the chest and in closed thorax in the pleural space. In tension pneumothorax leakage of air between lungs and chest wall happens.Based on the severity of condition surgical and non surgical treatment strategies can be undertaken.

Pulmonary embolism is the blocking of any of the arteries in the lungs by clot which reaches the artery from other parts of the body.

SARS is Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and is caused by Corona virus.

Tuberculosis is caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria will preferentially grow in lungs and leads to bad cough with blood in sputum, pain in chest and it will make the person weak and fatigue.

Tuberculosis is air born and it spreads when the affected patient cough, sneeze , speak etc.

Positive TB test tells that the person has the bacteria in his body. It can be either latent TB or active TB disease. Chest X ray and sputum test is necessary to confirm the active disease.

TB mainly affect lungs but it can also affect other major organs like brain, bone etc and is called extra pulmonary tuberculosis.

TB is treated by anti tubercular drugs which mainly include Isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide

Pulmonary function tests is the most common diagnostic test with additional methods like bronchoscopy, chest imaging etc.