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Respiratory Diseases

Respiratory symptoms are among the most common reasons to see a doctor. This chapter covers obstructive lung disease, pneumonia, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension and pleural disease.
What you will learn: 1. COPD and asthma. 2. Pneumonia. 3. Interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension. 4. Pleural diseases.

COPD and Asthma

COPD is a preventable and treatable disease with persistent, progressive airflow limitation caused mainly by smoking.
Definition: post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC below 0.70 with symptoms. Causes: cigarette smoke (main), occupational exposure, air pollution, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Pathology: chronic bronchitis (mucus hypersecretion) and emphysema (alveolar destruction). Symptoms: chronic cough, sputum, exertional dyspnoea. Signs: hyperinflation, prolonged expiration, wheeze, reduced breath sounds. Severity by spirometry and symptoms (GOLD groups) and exacerbation history. Management: smoking cessation (the most effective measure), vaccination, bronchodilators (long-acting beta-agonists and long-acting muscarinic antagonists), inhaled corticosteroids in frequent exacerbators, pulmonary rehabilitation, long-term oxygen therapy for chronic hypoxaemia, and treatment of exacerbations (short-acting bronchodilators, systemic steroids, antibiotics if purulent sputum).
Asthma is a chronic airway inflammation with variable, reversible airflow obstruction and bronchial hyperresponsiveness.
Features: episodic wheeze, cough, chest tightness and dyspnoea, often nocturnal or triggered by allergens, exercise, cold air or infection. Diagnosis: variable symptoms plus spirometry showing reversibility (increase of FEV1 of 12 percent and 200 mL after bronchodilator), peak flow variability or bronchial challenge. Treatment follows a stepwise approach: as-needed inhaled corticosteroid-formoterol or short-acting beta-agonist, regular low-dose inhaled corticosteroid, add long-acting beta-agonist, higher doses, biologic agents (anti-IgE, anti-IL-5) in severe eosinophilic or allergic disease. Acute severe asthma: oxygen, nebulised salbutamol and ipratropium, systemic steroids, magnesium.

Pneumonia, ILD, Pulmonary Hypertension and Pleura

Pneumonia is infection of the lung parenchyma with alveolar consolidation.
Community-acquired pneumonia: commonest cause Streptococcus pneumoniae; atypical organisms (Mycoplasma, Legionella, Chlamydophila), viruses and Haemophilus. Symptoms: fever, cough, purulent sputum, pleuritic pain, dyspnoea; signs: crackles, bronchial breathing, dullness to percussion. Chest X-ray shows consolidation. Severity: CURB-65 score (confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure, age 65 or more) guides admission. Treatment: amoxicillin (with a macrolide in more severe cases). Hospital-acquired and aspiration pneumonia involve Gram-negative organisms and anaerobes.
ILD and pulmonary hypertension cause restrictive physiology and right heart strain.
ILD: a group of diseases with inflammation and fibrosis of the interstitium: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (older smokers, bibasal crackles, honeycombing on HRCT; antifibrotic drugs nintedanib and pirfenidone), sarcoidosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, connective tissue disease. Symptoms: dry cough and progressive dyspnoea; finger clubbing; restrictive spirometry and low DLCO. Pulmonary hypertension: mean pulmonary artery pressure above 20 mmHg. Groups: pulmonary arterial hypertension, left heart disease, lung disease and hypoxia, chronic thromboembolic disease, and multifactorial. Signs: loud P2, right ventricular heave, raised jugular pressure, oedema; echocardiography and right heart catheterisation.
Pleural effusion is fluid in the pleural space and is classified as transudate or exudate.
Transudate (heart failure, cirrhosis, nephrotic syndrome): low protein. Exudate (pneumonia, malignancy, tuberculosis, pulmonary embolism): Light criteria (pleural to serum protein above 0.5, LDH ratio above 0.6, pleural LDH above two thirds of the upper serum limit). Examination: stony dull percussion, absent breath sounds. Thoracentesis for diagnosis. Empyema requires drainage; pneumothorax is air in the pleural space (drain if large or symptomatic).

Check Yourself: Respiratory Diseases

Try every question before opening the answers. Retrieval, not rereading, is what fixes knowledge in memory.
1. Give the spirometric definition of COPD. 2. What is the first-line management of stable asthma? 3. What does CURB-65 measure? 4. Which signs suggest idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis? 5. State Light's criteria.
Check only after trying. Reread any section where you were wrong and retry tomorrow.
1. Post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC below 0.70. 2. Inhaled corticosteroid-containing therapy with as-needed reliever (stepwise approach). 3. Severity of community-acquired pneumonia to guide admission. 4. Dry cough, dyspnoea, bibasal crackles, clubbing, restrictive spirometry and honeycombing on HRCT. 5. An exudate if pleural/serum protein above 0.5, pleural/serum LDH above 0.6 or pleural LDH above two thirds of the upper serum limit.

Venous Thromboembolism, Renal Disease and Heart Failure

Thrombosis, renal impairment and heart failure are common conditions seen on the medical ward.
What you will learn: 1. Venous thromboembolism. 2. Renal pathophysiology. 3. Heart failure.

Venous Thromboembolism

Venous thrombosis arises from stasis, hypercoagulability and endothelial injury and can embolise to the lungs.
Virchow triad: stasis, hypercoagulability, endothelial injury. Risk factors: surgery, immobility, cancer, pregnancy, oestrogens, thrombophilia, age. DVT: unilateral leg swelling, pain, warmth; PE: sudden dyspnoea, pleuritic pain, tachycardia, haemoptysis, syncope. Diagnosis: pre-test probability (Wells score), D-dimer if low probability, then compression ultrasound (DVT) or CT pulmonary angiography (PE). Treatment: anticoagulation (LMWH then direct oral anticoagulant or warfarin) for at least 3 months; thrombolysis for high-risk (massive) PE with shock. Prophylaxis in hospital: heparin and compression.

Renal Pathophysiology

Renal disease disturbs water, sodium, potassium and acid-base balance.
Kidney functions: filtration, tubular reabsorption and secretion, hormone production (erythropoietin, renin, calcitriol). Assessment: creatinine and eGFR, urinalysis (protein, blood, casts) and albumin-creatinine ratio, ultrasound. Syndromes: acute kidney injury, nephrotic and nephritic syndromes, chronic kidney disease. Common disturbances: hyperkalaemia (peaked T waves; treat with calcium, insulin-glucose, salbutamol, resonium, dialysis), hyponatraemia, metabolic acidosis.

Heart Failure

Heart failure is diagnosed clinically and confirmed by natriuretic peptides and echocardiography.
Symptoms: breathlessness, orthopnoea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea, fatigue, oedema. Signs: raised jugular venous pressure, third heart sound, crackles, displaced apex beat, peripheral oedema. Investigations: BNP or NT-proBNP, ECG, chest X-ray (cardiomegaly, upper lobe diversion, effusions), echocardiography (ejection fraction). Classification: NYHA functional class I-IV. Treatment: as for reduced ejection fraction with ACE inhibitor/ARNI, beta-blocker, MRA and SGLT2 inhibitor, diuretics for symptoms, device therapy (ICD, cardiac resynchronisation) in selected patients.

Check Yourself: Venous Thromboembolism, Renal Disease and Heart Failure

Try every question before opening the answers. Retrieval, not rereading, is what fixes knowledge in memory.
1. State the Virchow triad. 2. How is suspected PE investigated? 3. Which investigations are used to diagnose heart failure? 4. How is hyperkalaemia treated acutely?
Check only after trying. Reread any section where you were wrong and retry tomorrow.
1. Stasis, hypercoagulability, endothelial injury. 2. Pre-test probability (Wells), D-dimer if low risk, CT pulmonary angiography. 3. Clinical assessment, BNP or NT-proBNP, ECG, chest X-ray and echocardiography. 4. Intravenous calcium to protect the heart, insulin with glucose, salbutamol, potassium binders and dialysis if needed.

Diabetes Mellitus and Anaemias

Diabetes and anaemia are two of the most frequent problems in internal medicine.
What you will learn: 1. Diabetes: diagnosis, treatment and complications. 2. Anaemia: classification and work-up.

Diabetes Mellitus

Diagnosis relies on glucose or HbA1c criteria, and treatment aims at glycaemic control and prevention of complications.
Diagnosis: fasting glucose at least 126 mg/dL, HbA1c at least 6.5 percent, 2-hour OGTT at least 200 mg/dL, or random glucose at least 200 mg/dL with symptoms. Type 1 needs insulin; type 2 is treated with lifestyle and drugs: metformin first, then SGLT2 inhibitors or GLP-1 receptor agonists (particularly with cardiovascular or renal disease), DPP-4 inhibitors, sulfonylureas, and insulin. Targets: HbA1c about 7 percent (individualised), blood pressure below 130/80, LDL according to risk. Monitoring: retinal screening, urine albumin, foot examination. Emergencies: diabetic ketoacidosis (insulin infusion, fluids, potassium) and hypoglycaemia (glucose, glucagon).

Anaemias

Anaemia is a low haemoglobin, and the mean cell volume points to the cause.
Anaemia: haemoglobin below 13 g/dL in men and 12 g/dL in women. Symptoms: fatigue, pallor, dyspnoea, tachycardia. - Microcytic (MCV below 80): iron deficiency (low ferritin; look for bleeding), thalassaemia trait, anaemia of chronic disease. - Normocytic: chronic disease, acute blood loss, renal failure, haemolysis (raised reticulocytes, bilirubin and LDH, low haptoglobin). - Macrocytic (MCV above 100): vitamin B12 and folate deficiency (megaloblastic), alcohol, hypothyroidism, myelodysplasia. Investigations: blood count, reticulocytes, ferritin and iron studies, B12, folate, renal and thyroid function, blood film. Treatment addresses the cause: oral or intravenous iron, B12 injections, transfusion when severe.

Check Yourself: Diabetes Mellitus and Anaemias

Try every question before opening the answers. Retrieval, not rereading, is what fixes knowledge in memory.
1. Which drugs are preferred in type 2 diabetes with cardiovascular disease? 2. What is the typical HbA1c target? 3. Give the classification of anaemia by MCV with an example of each. 4. Which findings suggest haemolysis?
Check only after trying. Reread any section where you were wrong and retry tomorrow.
1. GLP-1 receptor agonists or SGLT2 inhibitors (after metformin). 2. About 7 percent, individualised. 3. Microcytic: iron deficiency; normocytic: chronic disease; macrocytic: B12 deficiency. 4. Raised reticulocytes, bilirubin and LDH with low haptoglobin.