3. Asthma should be considered likely
• episodic wheezing and other symptoms, such
as cough and dyspnea
• respond favorably to conventional asthma
medications
Thomas Kurian
4. Historical findings that may suggest
that wheezing is NOT due to asthma or
COPD
• sore throat
• hoarseness
• heartburn
• sour taste and regurgitation
• hemoptysis
Thomas Kurian
5. History
• ●Onset - foreign body aspiration
• goiter compressing the airway or
endobronchial tumor
• ●A history of neck or thyroid surgery –
? vocal cord paralysis
• ●Prior intubation –
• ? vocal fold trauma or paralysis, tracheal
stenosis, or tracheomalacia
Thomas Kurian
6. History
• ●dyspnea, wheeze, intractable (often barking)
cough to the point of syncope, and recurrent
pulmonary infections—
• tracheobronchomalacia and hyperdynamic
airway collapse.
• ●Cigarette smoking more than 10 pack years
• COPD
• laryngeal or bronchogenic cancer
Thomas Kurian
7. History
• Respiratory symptoms in the minutes or hours
after a single accidental inhalation of a high
concentration of irritant gas, aerosol, or
smoke ---
• reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS)
●Wheezing associated with a chronic or
recurrent cough productive of purulent sputum
may suggest bronchiectasis
Thomas Kurian
8. Physical examination
• oxygen saturation, and evidence of respiratory
distress
• Chest and neck auscultation are used to
differentiate stridor from wheezing
Thomas Kurian
10. Stridor is a type of monophonic
wheeze, but its intensity and
occurrence during inspiration help
distinguish it from lower airway
monophonic wheezing
Thomas Kurian
11. Timing
• Expiratory wheezing-- neither sensitive nor
specific for asthma
• Inspiratory wheezing-- neither a sensitive nor a
specific sign of extrathoracic upper airway
disease or obstruction
• In some patients with asthma, wheezing may only
be heard during inspiration
Thomas Kurian
12. Focal wheeze
• persistently located in one area
• foreign body in a segmental airway,
endobronchial tumor
Thomas Kurian
14. Extrapulmonary findings
• Tonsillar hypertrophy is typically visible on
oral exam.
• Neck - lymphadenopathy, thyroid
enlargement, or a surgical scar is identified.
Thomas Kurian
19. Gas transfer
• P(A-a)O2 gradient on arterial blood gases
• increased P(A-a)O2 gradient or a reduced
DLCO suggest small airway disease or lung
parenchymal involvement
Thomas Kurian
20. Imaging
• A conventional chest radiograph is
appropriate in most adults with new onset or
refractory wheezing
Thomas Kurian
21. Chest CT
• vascular rings, aneurysms of the major
vessels, mediastinal masses, or
lymphadenopathy that compress the trachea
extrinsically
• Tracheomalacia
Thomas Kurian
24. Direct visualization
• At the time of visualization, biopsies can be
obtained of intraluminal masses and plaques
Thomas Kurian
25. Bronchoscopy
• ●When the flow volume loop suggests
extrathoracic obstruction, laryngoscopy is
often the next step
• ●Flexible or rigid bronchoscopy
Thomas Kurian
26. 2 year old child
• acute onset of breathlessness
• Temperature, 37.4°C
• respiratory rate, 40 breaths per minute
• pulse, 110 beats per minute
• blood pressure, 92/60 mm Hg
• oxygen saturation, 80% on room air.
• He had no nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, stridor,
or previous history of difficulty breathing.
Thomas Kurian
27. • Physical examination - tachypnea and
suprasternal and subcostal retractions
• Left sided wheeze
Thomas Kurian
33. What are the DD of wheezing in a child
1) INFECTION
2) ASTHMA:
• i) Transient wheezer
• ii) Persistent wheezers
• iii) Late onset wheezer
Thomas Kurian
34. 3) Anatomic abnormalities
a) Central airway abnormalities
b) Extrinsic airway anomalies
c) Intrinsic airway anomalies:
4) Immunodeficiency states
5) Mucociliary clearance disorders
Thomas Kurian
40. Treatment
1. Comfort the child
2. Offer frequent liquids
3. Bronchodilators
4. Ipratropium bromide
5. Oral/ IV steroids
6. Inhaled steroids
7. Montelukast
8. No role of antibiotics
Thomas Kurian
41. 36 year old obese female , came with history of shortness
of breath, cough x 2 months
Her symptoms were worse in the early morning
Her symptoms vary over time and in intensity
Her symptoms are triggered by laughter
Thomas Kurian
43. These are typical of asthma-
True / False
Chest pain
Shortness of breath associated with dizziness, light
headedness or peripheral tingling
Chronic production of sputum
Symptoms triggered by exercise, irritants such as car
exhaust fumes, smoke
Thomas Kurian
44. These are typical of asthma-
True / False
Chest pain
Shortness of breath associated with dizziness, light
headedness or peripheral tingling
Chronic production of sputum
Symptoms triggered by exercise, irritants such as car
exhaust fumes, smoke
Thomas Kurian
45. What are the phenotypes of
Asthma?
Allergic asthma
Non allergic asthma
Late onset asthma
Asthma with fixed airflow limitation
Asthma with obesity
Thomas Kurian
46. How do you confirm the
diagnosis?
PFT with reversibility
Thomas Kurian
47. For how long should SABA be
withheld ?
4 hours
Thomas Kurian
48. For how long should LABA be
withheld ?
15 hours
Thomas Kurian
50. Pre-bronchodilator spirograph
shows :
FEV1/FVC : 38.39(Very low )
FVC : 2.24 (72 % pred.)
FET : 6.12 sec.
Diagnosis ?
Obstructive airway disease
Post- bronchodilatation spirograph
shows:
Δ FEV1 : 290 ml (34%)
What is your final diagnosis ?
Reversible airway obstruction-
Bronchial Asthma
Thomas Kurian
51. Which is the other way in
which Asthma may be
diagnosed?
Excessive variability in twice daily PEF over 2 weeks
Positive exercise challenge test
Significant increase in lung function after 4 weeks of anti
inflammatory treatment
Positive bronchial challenge test
Thomas Kurian
53. Our patient was started on
Med to high dose ICS / LABA
Thomas Kurian
54. When do you say asthma is
well controlled?
Day time symptoms not more than twice/week
No night time waking
Reliever needed not more than twice/week
No activity limitation due to asthma
Thomas Kurian
55. How to step down
treatment?
Once asthma control is achieved and maintained for 3
months
Stepping down ICS doses by 25-50% at 3 month intervals
is feasible and safe
Thomas Kurian
56. What are the non
pharmacological
interventions?
Thomas Kurian
57. Non pharmacological
interventions
Cessation of smoking and ETS
Physical activity
Avoidance of occupational exposures
Avoid Medicines that make asthma worse
Breathing techniques
Thomas Kurian
61. Our patient came for follow up
and is pregnant
In what percent asthma worsens?
Poor symptom control and exacerbations are associated
with worse outcomes for both the baby and the mother
Thomas Kurian
62. After 6 months of delivery , she
had worsening asthma, and was
put on high dose ICS
Thomas Kurian
63. During this treatment patient had
a fracture of femur after a fall
from bike
What is the precaution?
Why?
Thomas Kurian
64. After surgery , she was prescribed regular
controller therapy, antibiotics and
analgesics
She developed nasal congestion , anosmia, conjunctival
ingestion
What is the clinical picture resembling?
Thomas Kurian
65. AERD
Aspirin challenge test is the gold standard
Should avoid NSAIDs.
When NSAIDS are indicated substitute with COX- 2
inhibitors
ICS are the mainstay
Desensitization
Thomas Kurian
66. Male 30 year old
cough, breathlessness, wheezing and chest pain
Fever , weight loss were also present
Symptoms are mostly nocturnal
He had hepato splenomegaly
Thomas Kurian
67. There was eosinophilia 4200 /um
ESR 70
Thomas Kurian
68. What is the relevance of place of
residence?
Thomas Kurian
70. What are the investigations to
confirm TPE?
High serum levels of IgE
filarial-specific IgE and IgG are found
Thomas Kurian
71. TPE
(i) history suggestive of nocturnal symptoms mainly
cough and dyspnoea
(ii) pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph
(iii) leukocytosis with peripheral eosinophilia > 3000/µm
(iv) elevated serum IgE and filarial specific IgG and IgE
(v) clinical improvement with DEC
Thomas Kurian
72. What is the treatment?
DEC
Steroids
Thomas Kurian
74. An 83 year old female presents episode of weakness,
breathlessness
orthopnoea
Thomas Kurian
75. Initial Clinical Findings
Airway – clear & patent
Breathing – tachypnoeic
Circulation – Pulse present, irregular, tachycardic; skin
colour normal, cap refill normal
Disability – No LOC before ambulance arrival, patient
responding to verbal stimuli
Thomas Kurian
76. What is AMPLE history?
AMPLE, Allergies, Medications, Past Medical History, Last Eaten,
Events Leading
AMPLE History
A – Allergic to penicillin
M – Currently taking Warfarin, Furosemide
P – History of CVA x 1 year, CHF
L – Last oral intake 7pm the evening previous
E – Son stated patient became very weak before going to bed
Thomas Kurian
77. On examination
Pulse rate 110bpm
Pulse rhythm Irregular
Resp rate 24 per minute, regular, shallow
Wheeze + , basal crackles
Thomas Kurian
84. 15-year-old girl
history of ‘poorly controlled asthma’ dyspnoea on
exertion and wheeze
Her symptoms started after she was pushed over while
playing football
She had been treated with inhaled corticosteroids,
short-acting and long-acting β2-agonists and a
leukotriene receptor antagonist without improvement.
Thomas Kurian
88. A 58-year-old woman was referred with ‘poorly
controlled asthma’
She reported prolonged wheeze and chronic cough,
was unresponsive to a range of inhaled therapies
prescribed by her general practitioner
She worked as a hairdresser and was a non-smoker
She had no history of atopy. She had been treated for
asthma for 4 years and had never been intubated.
Thomas Kurian
91. The spirometric flow-volume loop showed truncation of
inspiratory as well as expiratory flow-volume loops
consistent with fixed upper airway obstruction
Bronchoscopy revealed fixed subglottic stenosis
She was referred to an otorhinolaryngologist for
endoscopic repair.
Thomas Kurian
92. A 75-year-old man with a 20 smoking pack-years was
referred with a 6-week history of worsening wheeze,
cough, green sputum and dyspnoea on exertion.
Inspiratory stridor and expiratory wheeze were noted
on clinical examination.
Thomas Kurian
95. CT of the thorax showed a large retrosternal goitre
Bronchoscopy revealed extrinsic tracheal compression
Thyroidectomy led to resolution of symptoms
Thomas Kurian
96. Take home message
• ●For patients with rapid onset of respiratory distress
associated with wheezing or stridor, the key initial steps are to
ensure adequate oxygenation and ventilation based on pulse
oximetry and arterial blood gas measurement, followed by a
rapid assessment made to determine the most likely cause.
If asthma and COPD nebulized bronchodilator treatment
• If there is evidence of anaphylaxis, subcutaneous epinephrine
should be given immediately.
Thomas Kurian
97. • ●For patients with impending respiratory
failure and suspicion of central airway
obstruction, endotracheal intubation by an
experienced clinician should precede a
diagnostic evaluation if the initial measures
have failed to improve the situation
Thomas Kurian
98. 1. Spirometry
2. Flow volume loop
3. Imaging of the neck and chest
4. Direct visualization of the airway is often
necessary
Thomas Kurian
— Wheezes are defined as high-pitched, continuous sounds lasting for at least 250 msec. They generally are louder than normal breath sounds.
However, stridor (monophonic inspiratory wheeze heard loudest over the neck) is a worrisome sign of upper airway obstruction.
Upper airway obstruction due to tumor or stenosis with an airway diameter <8 mm usually causes dyspnea on exertion; when the diameter is <5 mm, stridor is usually evident
Inflammation of the cartilage of the nose or ears may alert the clinician to possible airway narrowing or collapsibility due to relapsing polychondritis
Stigmata of rheumatoid arthritis might suggest bronchiolitis or cricoarytenoid joint arthritis with airway obstruction.
performing flow volume loops (instead of expiratory spirometry alone) during bronchoprovocation challenge testing may provide a clue to possible paradoxical vocal cord motion (PVCM).
While patients with PVCM may develop flattening of the inspiratory portion of the flow volume loop in response to pharmacologic bronchoprovocation challenge, direct laryngoscopy is required to confirm the diagnosis.
In fact, a normal P(A-a)O2 gradient is good evidence in favor of an upper airway cause of wheezing in a patient with wheezing and respiratory distress.
On the other hand, an increased P(A-a)O2 gradient or a reduced DLCO suggest small airway disease or lung parenchymal involvement (eg, bronchiolitis, bronchiectasis, COPD, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, proximal airway obstruction with atelectasis).
Conventional chest radiographs, with particular attention to the trachea and central airways, should be performed in all patients with the combination of wheezing, acute respiratory distress, and lack of response to inhaled bronchodilator therapy
The conventional chest radiograph is generally insensitive for central airway lesions, although it can sometimes identify central airway narrowing involving long segments of the trachea (eg, relapsing polychondritis, tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica, amyloidosis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis [Wegener's], tumors).
(eg, tumor, amyloid, respiratory papillomatosis).
During bronchoscopy, biopsy samples can be obtained and foreign bodies can be removed. The decision about whether to use flexible or rigid bronchoscopy usually depends on the anticipated location and severity of tracheal lesions, and also whether a therapeutic intervention (eg, stent, laser resection) is planned.