The Lung and the Restless
This type of pneumocyte covers 95% of alveolar surface and facilitates gas exchange.
What is a Type I pneumocyte?
The recruitment of these cells is a hallmark of allergic airway inflammation.
What are eosinophils?
A child with asthma and allergic rhinitis may have these puffy, dark circles under the eyes.
What are allergic shiners?
The first step in asthma management is to
Identify allergic or nonallergic triggers and minimize or prevent exposure to these triggers.
This immune cell subtype drives asthma by producing IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13.
What are Th2 cells?
These cuboidal cells secrete surfactant to reduce alveolar surface tension and help repair alveolar lining.
What are Type II pneumocytes?
Acute inflammation causes this bronchial muscle reaction that makes it hard to breathe.
What is bronchoconstriction?
A physical exam performed during or shortly after an asthma attack would likely reveal what?
Expiratory wheezing and prolonged expiration.
Lack of physical activity due to the fear of triggering an asthma attack can increase a patient's risk for medical conditions such as
What is Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
These two cell types are the main players in the early-phase asthma response: one releases histamine, the other produces IgE.
What are mast cells and plasma cells?
The conducting zone ends at this structure—no gas exchange happens here.
What is the terminal bronchiole?
Chronic inflammation leads to this type of epithelial cell increase that boosts mucus.
What is goblet cell hyperplasia?
Expiration is often prolonged in asthma because of this airflow abnormality.
What is airway obstruction?
Asthma patients who don’t adhere to treatment are more likely to suffer this pattern of airflow issue.
What is chronic airflow obstruction?
This granule protein from eosinophils damages airway epithelium in late-phase asthma.
What is major basic protein?
These microscopic structures increase airway surface area and help trap particles, beating rhythmically to clear mucus.
What are cilia?
This term describes the structural changes seen in subacute/chronic asthma.
What is airway remodeling?
Bonus (What is this remodeling?)
These muscles are used when breathing is labored.
What are accessory muscles?
A long-term complication of steroid use in asthma treatment related to bones?
What is osteoporosis
A key mechanism by which corticosteroids improve asthma symptoms is by upregulating this type of receptor.
What are beta-2 adrenergic receptors?
This pressure is always negative under normal conditions and helps keep alveoli open during the respiratory cycle.
What is intrapleural pressure?
Name 3 structural changes that occur in chronic inflammation of the airways.
What are smooth muscle hypertrophy, goblet cell hyperplasia, and basement membrane thickening?
On CXR, this flattening structure is a classic sign of hyperinflated lungs.
What is the diaphragm?
Name two long-term complications of uncontrolled asthma beyond lung function decline.
What are recurrent respiratory infections and airway remodeling?
This drug inhibits phosphodiesterase and blocks adenosine, leading to bronchodilation.
What is theophylline?