Back to Basics Review: Respirology in Under Two Hours

Back to Basics Review:Respirology in Under Two Hours

Nha Voduc MD FRCPCOriginal Presentation by Jen Block MD FRCPC

April 8, 2011

The Plan...

• Pulmonary Function Testing

• Asthma

• COPD

• Sleep Apnea

• Pleural Effusion

• Lung Cancer

Spirometry: Measurement of Airflow

1. Take as deep a breath as possible2. Blast out the air into spirometer3. Continue exhaling for several more seconds

UpToDate

RVTLC

Flow Volume Loop

Interpretation

• Upper Airway Abnormalities

• Obstructive Lung Disease

• Restrictive Lung Disease

Upper Airway Abnormalities

• Variable extrathoracic obstruction impairs inspiratory flow more than expiratory flow -- negative pressure during inspiratory “sucks in” (narrows) airway

• Variable intrathoracic obstruction impairs expiratory flow more than inspiratory flow -- positive intrathoracic pressure compresses in airway

ERJ 2005; 26: 948-968

Obstructive Lung Disease

• FEV1/FVC is <70%and

• FEV1 < 80%(or < 2 standard deviations)

• “scooped out”

• lung volumes may show Hyperinflation or “gas trapping”(increased residual volume)

ERJ 2005; 26: 948-968

Restrictive Lung Disease

• TLC < 80% (or < 2 standard deviations)

• normal FEV1/FVC ratio

• Neuromuscular, Chest wall,

Interstitial Lung disease

ERJ 2005; 26: 948-968

Asthma

• Pathophysiology

• Diagnosis

• Chronic Management

• Acute Management

Asthma: Definition

• paroxysmal or persistent symptoms (dyspnea, chest tightness, wheeze, cough)

• variable airflow limitation and airway hyper-responsiveness

• due to inflammation

Comprehensive Asthma Management

• Suspect asthma and confirm diagnosis

• Education

• Assess severity

• Avoid / control triggers and environmental modification

• Medications for chronic disease

• Assess control

• Management plan for exacerbation

• Regular follow-up

• If FEV1 is low, try to increase it using a short-acting bronchodilator

(reversibility)

• ≥12% and ≥180 ml improvement in FEV1 from baseline 15 minutes after the

use of an inhaled short-acting bronchodilator

Asthma Diagnosis: Requirements PFTs

• If FEV1 is normal, try to see if airways are hyperresponsive by giving an

irritant (methacholine challenge)

Asthma Diagnosis



• Education

• Assess severity



• Assess control



Asthma Management

Relievers – Short Acting Beta-Agonists

• SABAs for acute relief• ‘rescue’ medication used as needed• MDI salbutamol (Ventolin) • dry powder terbutaline (Bricanyl)

• Frequent use of SABA indicates poor control• Regular use associated with tachyphylaxis

Asthma Management

Inhaled Corticosteroids (ICS)

• Anti-inflammatory ICS mainstay of therapy

– Prevent symptoms, improve PFTs, decrease hyper-responsiveness, reduce morbidity

Inhaled Corticosteroids – How do they work?

• Like steroids produced endogenously by adrenal cortex

• Anti-inflammatory – inhibit production of cytokines, which:

– reduces eosinophil infiltration– inhibits macrophage function– reduces production of leukotrienes

Dosing Guide

Drug Low Daily Dose (μg) Medium Dose (μg) High Daily Dose (μg)

Fluticasone(Flovent)

≤250 251-500 >500

Budesonide(Pulmicort)

≤400 401-800 >800

Beclomethasone(Qvar)

≤250 251-500 >500

Ciclesonide(Alvesco)

≤200 201-400 >400

ICS Adverse Effects

• thrush• dysphonia

• osteoporosis• decreasedgrowth velocity (?)• glaucoma • cataracts• adrenal insufficiency

Asthma Management

Long Acting β2-Agonists (LABAs)

• add if not controlled by moderate dose ICS

• better than doubling ICS

• “not recommended as maintenance monotherapy”

– Increased mortality!

• doesn’t replace SABAs

• salmeterol (Serevent), formoterol (Oxeze)

Combination LABA / ICS Products

– Salmeterol/fluticasone (Advair) MDI and diskus

– Budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort) turbuhaler

Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists (LTRAs)

• Second or third choice medication or in patients who can’t take ICS

• Montelukast (Singulair)

• Oral medication

• Use in patients with:

– symptoms despite LABA/ICS

– ASA sensitivity, nasal polyps

– exercise-induced asthma

IgE Antagonists: Omalizumab (Xolair)

• Monoclonal antibodies block action of IgE on mast cell

• Effective if IgE levels are only slightly elevated (500-1200)

• Monthly injection

• Extremely expensive

• Use if frequent need for oral steroids despite optimum conventional Rx and patient has drug plan or $$$



• Education

• Assess severity



• Assess control



Assess Control

• Both physicians and patients over-estimate their degree of control (many patients are much worse than they think they are)



• Education

• Assess severity



• Assess control



Asthma Exacerbation

• ABC’s– include RR, O2 sats, assess work of breathing, wheezing

• history: – Diagnosis– Environmental triggers– Previous exacerbations/admissions/intubations– Treatment history

• Compliance• Inhaler technique

– Other medical illnesses or medications

• short-acting beta-agonists ie. salbutamol (Ventolin)

• short-acting anti-cholinergics ie. ipratropium (Atrovent)

• systemic anti-inflammatory therapy– oral = prednisone– intravenous = solumedrol

• very severe: MgSO4, intubation, anesthetic

Asthma Exacerbation

COPD

• Definition

• Constrast from asthma

• Pathophysiology

• Diagnosis



COPD Definition

• respiratory disorder largely caused by smoking characterized by:

- progressive, partially reversible airway obstruction

- hyperinflation

- systemic manifestations

- increasing frequency and severity of exacerbations

COPD Risk Factors

• Host Factors:

- genetics (alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency)

- bronchial hyper-responsiveness

• Environmental Factors:

- smoking

- childhood viral infections

- occupational & environmental exposures

Pathophysiology - Airflow Obstruction

• alveoli and support structures are destroyed– decreased elastic recoil– lack of tethering gives airway collapse

• airway compression by adjacent overdistended lung units

• mucosal inflammation and secretions

Pathophysiology - Hyperinflation

• expiratory flow limitation in COPD results in air trapping

• end-expiratory lung volumes are increased

• further hyperinflation with exercise (increased respiratory rate results in decreased expiratory time)

• decreased inspiratory capacity a major cause of dyspnea– Increased load on inspiratory

muscles

COPD Diagnosis

• do not screen asymptomatic individuals

• assess symptomatic patients with spirometry

• post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio less than 0.7

COPD Stage Post-bronchodilator FEV1

(% predicted)

mild ≥ 80

moderate 50 - 79

severe 30 - 49

very severe < 30

COPD Management

BMJ 2008; 336: 598-600.

Education - Effects of Smoking on FEV1

Mortality Benefit

Education

“Tobacco is the only legal consumer product that kills

one third to one half of those who use it as intended

by its manufacturers, with its victims dying on

average 15 years prematurely”

- World Health Organization

What Can You Do?

• 2007: 19% of adult Canadians are active smokers

• smoking cessation advice– even brief advice increases chances of patients quitting

• Personalized, direct but non-judgmental message

– www.gosmokefree.ca– www.smokershelpline.ca

• nicotine replacement therapy– many different types– any form of NRT increases chances of quitting vs. control

• buproprion, varenicline

http://www.gosmokefree.ca/

http://www.smokershelpline.ca/

Other Prevention

• vaccination:– flu vaccine yearly– pneumococcal vaccine q5years

COPD Management

Short-Acting Bronchodilators

• Even patients with “fixed” airflow obstruction can have good clinical response to bronchodilators even if FEV1 changes very little

• Reduces hyperinflation, reduces dyspnea and increases exercise capacity

Short-Acting Bronchodilators

• anti-cholingergics: ipatropium (Atrovent)– dry mouth– glaucoma if sprayed into eye– urinary retention

• β2-agonists: salbutamol (Ventolin)– tachycardia, palpitations– sleeplessness, tremor

• improves PFTS, dyspnea and exercise performance

COPD Management

Long-acting anti-cholinergic

• tiotropium (Spiriva)

• once a day

• blocks M3 muscarinic receptors in bronchial

smooth muscle

• improves:– PFTs, dyspnea, exercise capacity, quality of life– decreases exacerbations– maybe more improvement than LABA

Long-acting β2-agonist (LABA)

• salmeterol (Serevent) and formoterol (Oxeze)

• twice daily

• more sustained improvement in PFTs, dyspnea and QOL than short-

acting bronchodilators

COPD Management

Dyspnea – Downward Spiral of Deconditioning

Respiratoryimpairment

Dyspnea during moderate exertion

Abstentionfrom exercise

Physical deconditioning

Dyspnea during mild exertion

Furtherabstention

Furtherdeconditioning

Dyspneaduring ADL

*

* = stay at home. Depression, oxygen

therapy etc.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

– Exercise + psychosocial support

– Aerobic exercise + strength training

– improves dyspnea, endurance, QOL

– trend to decreasing mortality

– need a maintenance program

www.lungchicago.org www.altru.org

http://www.lungchicago.org/

http://www.altru.or/

COPD Management

Combination LABA / ICS Products

– Salmeterol/fluticasone (Advair) MDI and diskus

– Budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort) turbuhaler

– add to therapy if patient has persistent dyspnea or recurrent exacerbations

– improve PFTs, QOL, decrease exacerbations

– Benefits much more modest than in asthma

COPD Management

Indications for long term oxygen therapy

• pO2 on room air of≤ 55 mmHg< 60 mm Hg if evidence of

– Polycythemia– Cor pulmonale– Right heart failure

• Mortality benefit

COPD Management

Surgery

• Lung Volume Reduction Surgery- benefits patients with upper lobe (heterogenous) emphysema and

poor exercise capacity

• Lung Transplantation- single or double lung- non-smoker (must have quit smoking)- generally age< 65 without significant cardiac, renal, hepatic disease- post-transplant survival is 5-6 years on average- death from infection (early) and chronic rejection (later)

COPD Management

End of Life Issues

• Empathetic, realistic conversations about illness• Opportunity to express wishes re: intubation

• Dyspnea- morphine po, sc, iv- benzodiazepines

• Cough- opioids (codeine, morphine)

• Secretions- scopolamine

What Decreases Mortality?

Non-Pharmacologic• Smoking cessation Yes• Flu shot No• Pneumonia vaccine No• Pulmonary Rehab ?

Pharmacologic• Oxygen Yes• Systemic Steroids No• Antibiotics No• SABA (Ventolin) No• Anti-cholinergics No• Theophylline No• Inhaled Steroids No• LABAs No• Combo ICS/LABA No

COPD

• Contrast from asthma

• Definition

• Pathophysiology

• Diagnosis



Acute exacerbations of COPD

• Over 50% are associated with a bacterial infection• Decision to use antibiotics based on Anthonisen (Winnipeg)

criteria• Antibiotics are helpful if there are at least two of:

– Increased dyspnea– Increased volume of sputum– Increased purulence of sputum

Acute exacerbations of COPD

• Treatment:

– ABCs

– O2 sat monitoring and oxygen prn

– history and p/e to rule out other causes of dyspnea

– CXR, ABG, sputum C&S

– Bronchodilators

– systemic steroids: prednisone 50 mg/d x 10-14 days (?)

– antibiotics if purulent sputum

– NIPPV

Antibiotics for Community Acquired Pneumonia

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

• Elevated Apnea-Hypopnea Index on Sleep study (Polysomnography)

AND

• Nighttime Symptoms: Snoring, witnessed apneas

OR

• Daytime Symptoms: Morning headache, daytime sleepiness

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

• Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI):– normal <5/hour– mild 5-15/hour– moderate 16-30/hour– severe >30/hour

• Treatment:– weight loss, avoid sedatives– positional therapy (off supine)– Non-invasive positive pressure therapy: CPAP / BiPAP– oral appliance, UPPP, tracheostomy less common / less effective

Pleural Effusion

Pleural Fluid Accumulation

• In normal pleural space, the rate of fluid formation is balanced by the rate of removal

• Rate of fluid formation is determined by the Starling equation

– hydrostatic forces push water out of vessel

– osmotic forces pull water back into vessel

• Pleural effusion is due to abnormalities in one of these processes

• Cell count and differential• Gram stain• Culture• AFB• Cytology

• LDH• Total protein• Glucose • pH

Pleural Effusion Evaluation

Light’s Criteria• pleural fluid protein/serum protein > 0.5• pleural fluid LDH / serum LDH > 0.6• pleural fluid LDH > 2/3 upper limit normal LDH

Any of these three criteria means fluid is EXUDATE

Pleural Effusion Evaluation

Many!

Transudate = fluid overload or reduced oncotic pressure (low albumin)heart, liver, kidney

Exudate = infectious inflammatory malignant iatrogenic

Pleural Effusion Etiology

• If exudate with no determined cause, you want to rule-out malignancyCT chest with contrast

pleuroscopy or VATSbronchoscopy

follow / repeat thoracentesis

Pleural Effusion Etiology

Treatment is palliative (reduce symptoms associated with effusion)Cure generally not possibleIn most cases, effusion will persist despite chemotherapy

Most places, patients admitted for symptomatic thoracentesis +/- tube drainage and pleurodesis (talc)

In Ottawa, patients mostly receiving PleurX (indwelling) catheters to allow home drainage

Malignant Pleural Effusions

Many causes - both benign and malignant

Solitary Pulmonary Nodule

Infectious granulomas fungal tuberculous

Benign neoplasm hamartoma lipoma

Vascular AVM

Developmental Bronchogenic Cyst

Inflammatory Wegener’s

Bronchogenic Cancer SCLC NSCLC - adenocarcinoma squamous large cell carcinoid

Metastatic Cancer breast colon others...

Many causes - both benign and malignant

Clinical (age, smoking history) and radiographic features help


Benign Malignant

Size smaller (<1 cm) larger (>3 cm)

Margins round, smooth irregularspiculated

Over time stable growth

Calcification popcorn, centralconcentric, diffuse None or asymmetric

Management depends on risk of maligancy

Options:IgnoreFollow (repeat imaging within 3-6 months)BiopsyResect (almost never done without first attempting biopsy)


Small Cell Lung Cancer

• Approximately 20% of lung cancers• more rapid doubling time, earlier metastases• responsive to chemotherapy and radiation but quickly relapses

• smokers• central airways• present with metastases• paraneoplastic syndromes

PEIR Digital Library http://peir2.path.uab.edu

• Limited (30-40%): involves only one hemithorax (maximum allowable for radiation portal)

- concurrent chemo + radiation- median survival 15-20 months

- (very small chance of cure)

• Extensive (60-70%): extends beyond hemithorax- Chemotherapy only- median 8-13 months

- (cure not possible)

Small Cell Lung Cancer


Non Small Cell Lung Cancer

• 80% of all lung cancers• 10-15% survival at 5 years

• staging by TNM systemT = tumourN = nodeM = metastases

Up To Date www.utdol.com

http://www.utdol.com/


• Subtypes:- Adenocarcinoma (now most common)- Squamous cell carcinoma - Large cell carcinoma


Bronchoalveolar Carinoma (BAC)


• Treatment and prognosis depend on stage

• Early Stage (1 or 2)–Surgical resection if tolerated–Adjuvant chemotherapy to reduce risk of recurrence

• Later Stage (3B or 4)–Chemotherapy if performance status is reasonable–Palliative Radiotherapy for symptoms

• Majority of NSCLC will not be resectable and/or operable

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The Plan...

• Spirometry

• Asthma

• COPD

• Sleep Apnea

• Pleural Effusion

• Lung Cancer

Good Luck

• Questions?

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Back to Basics Review: Respirology in Under Two Hours