08/02/2025
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Emphysema - Pink (Panther) Puffers rapid review now!
& Swipe the post for a .
🥏 Pathology
A COPD subset - there is exposure to irritants which leads to degredation of elastin in the alveoli and airways see air trapping and poor gas exchange.
Process involves irritants such as cigarette smoke which attract inflammatory cells and release leukotrienes and chemical mediators such as: 1L8, B4, TNF alpha/proteases, and elastases/collagenases. This destroys the collagen and elastin which makes the alveoli lose elasticity and because of this there is low pressuring during expiration by pulling the walls of the alveoli inward. Ultimately there is collapse and air trapping as a result of this found distal to the collapse. The septa breaks down and neighboring alveoli form this larger air space. This isn’t good. We now have a decreased surface area for available gas exchange!
* Loss of elastin leads to lungs more compliant (lung expanding and holding air)
* Alveolar air spaces are permanently enlarged and loss elasticity which makes exhaling difficult.
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🥏Medications
Bronchodilators or Inhaled steroids or a combo of the two Oral steroids (see adverse effects such as oral candidiasis, weight gain, diabetes, osteoporosis)
Antibiotics (azithromycin prevents exacerbations)
Supplemental 02
🫁 Look out for a lesson on Chronic Bronchitis which we call
Blue (genie floater) Bloaters coming soon. We’ll also compare the two again!
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#عراق
