Asthma
00:00 / 00:00
Videos
Notes
Asthma
Respiratory system
Lower respiratory tract disorders
Acute respiratory distress syndrome
Cyanide poisoning
Decompression sickness
Methemoglobinemia
Pulmonary changes at high altitude and altitude sickness
Congenital pulmonary airway malformation
Pulmonary hypoplasia
Tracheoesophageal fistula
Pneumonia
Lung cancer
Pancoast tumor
Superior vena cava syndrome
Apnea of prematurity
Meconium aspiration syndrome
Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome
Sudden infant death syndrome
Transient tachypnea of the newborn
Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency
Asthma
Bronchiectasis
Chronic bronchitis
Cystic fibrosis
Emphysema
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Restrictive lung diseases
Sarcoidosis
Respiratory system pathology review
Apnea, hypoventilation and pulmonary hypertension: Pathology review
Cystic fibrosis: Pathology review
Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism: Pathology review
Lung cancer and mesothelioma: Pathology review
Obstructive lung diseases: Pathology review
Pleural effusion, pneumothorax, hemothorax and atelectasis: Pathology review
Pneumonia: Pathology review
Respiratory distress syndrome: Pathology review
Restrictive lung diseases: Pathology review
Tuberculosis: Pathology review
Assessments
Asthma
Flashcards
0 / 24 complete
USMLE® Step 1 questions
0 / 5 complete
High Yield Notes
13 pages
Flashcards
Asthma
of complete
Questions
USMLE® Step 1 style questions USMLE
of complete
External References
First Aid
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
Albuterol p. 243
asthma p. 712
Antileukotrienes
for asthma p. 712
Asthma p. 698
albuterol for p. 243
β -blockers and p. 247
breast milk and p. 652
cromolyn sodium for p. 411
drug therapy p. 712
eczema and p. 489
epinephrine for p. 243
gastroesophageal reflux disease p. 386
hypertension treatment with p. 323
immunosuppressants p. 118
muscarinic antagonists for p. 242
omalizumab for p. 120
pulsus paradoxus in p. 481
salmeterol for p. 243
type I hypersensitivity p. 110
β2 -agonists
asthma p. 712
Corticosteroids
asthma p. 712
Cough p. 148, 572
asthma p. 698
Dyspnea
asthma p. 698
Pulsus paradoxus p. 481
asthma p. 698
Tachypnea
asthma p. 698
Upper respiratory infections (URIs)
asthma trigger p. 698
Transcript
Content Reviewers
Contributors
Asthma comes from the Greek word for “panting”, which makes sense because it causes chronic inflammation of the airways, making them narrow and more difficult to breathe through.
People with asthma can have asthma exacerbation or asthma attacks, which are usually triggered by something in the environment which causes immune cells to generate inflammation in the lungs which can make them even narrower and potentially be life-threatening.
So, if we take a look at the lungs, you’ve got the trachea, which branches off into right and left bronchi, and then continues to branch into thousands of bronchioles.
In the bronchioles you’ve got the lumen, the mucosa, which includes the inner lining of epithelial cells, as well as the lamina propria, and the submucosa which is where the smooth muscle lives.
The molecular pathway that leads to asthma is actually pretty complex but it is often initiated by an environmental trigger.
In asthma there is often an excessive reaction from type 2 helper cells or Th2 cells against specific allergens.
Th2 cells, are an immune cell subtype, which are known to be involved in asthma, as well as atopic dermatitis, and allergic rhinitis, making up what’s called the atopic triad.
What can happen with asthma is allergens from environmental triggers, like cigarette smoke, are picked up by dendritic cells which present them to a Th2 cell which produce cytokines like IL-4 and IL-5 leading to a number of features of asthma.
Sources
- "Robbins Basic Pathology" Elsevier (2017)
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Twentieth Edition (Vol.1 & Vol.2)" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
- "Pathophysiology of Disease: An Introduction to Clinical Medicine 8E" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
- "CURRENT Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2020" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2019)
- "Asthma-related comorbidities" Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine (2011)
- "Genes, environments, development and asthma: a reappraisal" European Respiratory Journal (2006)
- "Asthma: Clinical expression and molecular mechanisms" Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2010)
For Institutions
Copyright © 2023 Elsevier, its licensors, and contributors. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
Cookies are used by this site.
USMLE® is a joint program of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). COMLEX-USA® is a registered trademark of The National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, Inc. NCLEX-RN® is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. Test names and other trademarks are the property of the respective trademark holders. None of the trademark holders are endorsed by nor affiliated with Osmosis or this website.
