Module 17: Pulmonary Disorders

Module Authors

Stephanie Bowlin, EdD, PA-C
Dean, College of Allied Health Professions
Associate Professor, Department of Physician Assistant Education
Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA

Diana Lithgow, RN, MSN, FNP-C
Assistant Professor, Master of Science in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner Program
Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA

Tina M. Meyer, PA-C
Clinical Consultant and Adjunct Professor
Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA

Review Concepts

By the end of this Review Concept you should be able to:

• Define asthma and its prevalence
• Describe the pathogenesis of asthma
• Describe phases of asthma attacks and their corresponding symptoms
• Specify diagnostic parameters for asthma.
• List the types of drugs used to treat asthma
• Describe the pharmacology of each drug class and the major drugs within each class
• Recommend specific clinical guidelines and pharmacotherapy for asthma management
• Recognize major adverse effects of asthma drug therapies

By the end of this Review Concept you should be able to:

• State the definition of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• List risk factors for COPD
• Outline diagnostic and management protocols for COPD
• Differentiate between treatment for patients with mild, moderate and severe COPD
• State the definition and incidence of cystic fibrosis
• Outline diagnostic and management protocols for cystic fibrosis

By the end of this Review Concept you should be able to:

• Define and describe the etiology of pneumonia
• List the risk factors of pneumonia
• Describe the signs and symptoms of pneumonia
• Outline diagnostic and treatment protocols of pneumonia

By the end of this Review Concept you should be able to:

• Describe the cause of the common cold and how it is transmitted
• List the risk factors associated with the common cold
• Outline diagnostic and treatment parameters and pharmacological interventions of the common cold
• Define and describe the incidence and etiology of bronchiolitis
• List the signs and symptoms associated with bronchiolitis
• Outline diagnostic and treatment parameters and possible complications of bronchiolitis Define the types of influenza and describe the incidence of influenza
• List the signs and symptoms associated with influenza
• Describe treatment and prophylaxis of influenza
• Describe the etiology of bronchitis
• List the signs and symptoms of bronchitis
• Outline diagnostic and treatment protocols of bronchitis
• List preventative measures of bronchitis

By the end of this Review Concept you should be able to:

• Define and describe the incidence of tuberculosis (TB)
• Outline the pathogenesis of TB
• Describe the signs and symptoms of active TB and extrapulmonary TB
• Outline diagnostic and treatment protocols for TB
• Identify drugs used for patients with active lung disease and drug-resistant disease
• Outline screening procedures for TB
• Describe conditions in which prophylaxis for TB is needed.

By the end of this Review Concept you should be able to:

• Define asthma and its prevalence
• Differentiate the following fungal infections of the lung in terms of geographical location and other epidemiological factors.
  • Histoplasmosis
  • Coccidioidomycosis
  • Blastomycosi
  • Sporotrichosis
• Describe the etiology and pathogenesis of theabovefungal infections:
• Outline the clinical presentation and treatment protocols for each of the above fungal infections

By the end of this Review Concept you should be able to:

• Describe the prevalence, mortality, and primary etiology associated with lung cancer
• Describe screening procedures for asymptomatic individuals and diagnostic procedures for the patient with suspected lung cancer
• List the histologic types of lung cancer and describe the clinical presentation
• List pharmacological agents used in the treatment of lung cancer
• Define pleural effusion
• List diseases precipitating pleural effusion
• Outline diagnostic and treatment protocols for patients with pleural effusion
• Describe the pathogenesis of pleurisy
• Outline diagnostic and treatment protocols for patients with pleurisy

By the end of this Review Concept you should be able to:

• Describe the pathogenesis of interstitial lung diseases
• List etiologies of interstitial lung diseases.
• List the signs and symptoms of interstitial lung diseases
• Outline diagnostic and treatment protocols of interstitial lung diseases such as:
  • Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Coal-Workers Pneumonitis

By the end of this Review Concept you should be able to:

• Define pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension
• Describe the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and clinical presentation of pulmonary embolism
• List differential diagnoses for pulmonary embolism
• Outline procedures and common findings for the diagnostic workup of patients with pulmonary embolism
• Describe management priorities for the patients with pulmonary embolism
• Describe the pathogenesis and etiology of pulmonary hypertension
• Outline procedures and common findings for the diagnostic workup of patients with pulmonary hypertension
• Describe management priorities for the patients with pulmonary hypertension

By the end of this Review Concept you should be able to:

• Describe disease processes and precipitating factors leading to respiratory failure
• Describe the signs and symptoms associated with respiratory failure
• Outline treatment protocols for respiratory failure
• Describe disease processes and psychogenic causes leading to hyperventilation
• List signs and symptoms of hyperventilation
• Outline treatment protocols for hyperventilation
• Define and list the causes of hypoventilation.
• Identify diagnostic and treatment protocols of hypoventilation
• Describe the causes of subsegmental atelectasis and lobar atelectasis
• Outline diagnostic and treatment protocols of subsegmental atelectasis and lobar atelectasis
• Define and describe the cause of bronchiectasis
• Outline diagnostic and treatment protocols of bronchiectasis

By the end of this Review Concept you should be able to:

• Define the types of coughs associated with respiratory disorders
• Describe possible etiologies of acute and chronic cough
• Discuss the health implications of chronic coughing
• List elements of the patient history, physical exam, and laboratory workup that are important in the diagnosis of cough
• Describe pharmacological options to reduce or eliminate coughing

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