What is Kartagener's Syndrome?
Kartagener's Syndrome is a chronic lung disease that occurs when cilia are unable to move. Kartagener's Syndrome is a rare genetic birth defect.
Individuals with Kartagener's Syndrome have abnormal or absent ciliary motion.
Kartagener's Syndrome is also called Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, and Immotile Cilia Syndrome, Afzelius’ syndrome, Kartagener’s triad, Zivert's syndrome, and Zivert-Kartagener triad.
What are Cilia?
Cilia are tiny hair-like structures that are present on the surfaces of many different types of cells.
One of the functions of cilia is to move mucus out of the respiratory passages.
During infections more mucus is produced and because the abnormal cilia can't move or move ineffectively, mucus becomes stuck and blocks the respiratory tract, causing various complications.
Complications of Kartagener's Syndrome
Some complications of Kartagener's Syndrome are:
Bronchiectasis.
Bronchiectasis occurs when the bronchial tubes are blocked and chronically infected, causing the tubes to weaken and stretch out.
The widened tubes allow more mucus and bacteria to accumulate, leading to infection and possibly pneumonia.
Difficulty breathing.
Chronic wheezing, coughing.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Chronic Bronchitis:
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchi.
Symptoms include:
More specifically, it may refer to:
Acute bronchitis, caused by viruses or bacteria and lasting several days or weeks Chronic bronchitis, a persistent, productive cough lasting at least three months in two consecutive years.
Chronic bronchitis can be caused by cigarette smoke.
Acute bronchitis is often a symptom of the common cold.
Bronchitis is NOT CONTAGIOUS In bronchitis, the membranes lining the larger air passages (bronchi) become inflamed and an excessive amount of mucus is produced.
The person with bronchitis develops a bad cough to get rid of the mucus.
Sometimes it can lead to pneumonia.
Airflow into and out of the lungs is partly blocked because of the swelling and extra mucus in the bronchi.
Bronchitis is commonly treated with an antibiotic called Amoxicillin or with inhalers as with asthma .
A rescue puffer, Ventolin, Salbutomal or Novo-Salmol, is commonly used for a respiratory emergency (dyspnea).
Other inhalers can be prescribed for daily therapy use.
Chronic bronchitis is one sub-category of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or disorder).
Emphysema is another sub-category of COPD. With COPD, each interferes with the absorption of oxygen into the blood stream.
COPD patients can degrade to the point where their breathing system does not recognize high levels of carbon dioxide buildup.
Their breathing mechanism will respond to low levels of oxygen instead.
So applying oxygen for treatment of a COPD patient can potentially shut down the respiratory drive.
However, COPD is a secondary issue.
The oxygen is required for treatment of the main injury or illness.
The main point is to monitor and ensure that if the respiratory drive shuts down, start rescue breathing or CPR (if no signs of circulation).
Symptoms include:
- Coughing up extra mucus, sometimes with blood
- Wheezing Difficulty breathing
- Runny nose
More specifically, it may refer to:
Acute bronchitis, caused by viruses or bacteria and lasting several days or weeks Chronic bronchitis, a persistent, productive cough lasting at least three months in two consecutive years.
Chronic bronchitis can be caused by cigarette smoke.
Acute bronchitis is often a symptom of the common cold.
Bronchitis is NOT CONTAGIOUS In bronchitis, the membranes lining the larger air passages (bronchi) become inflamed and an excessive amount of mucus is produced.
The person with bronchitis develops a bad cough to get rid of the mucus.
Sometimes it can lead to pneumonia.
Airflow into and out of the lungs is partly blocked because of the swelling and extra mucus in the bronchi.
Bronchitis is commonly treated with an antibiotic called Amoxicillin or with inhalers as with asthma .
A rescue puffer, Ventolin, Salbutomal or Novo-Salmol, is commonly used for a respiratory emergency (dyspnea).
Other inhalers can be prescribed for daily therapy use.
Chronic bronchitis is one sub-category of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or disorder).
Emphysema is another sub-category of COPD. With COPD, each interferes with the absorption of oxygen into the blood stream.
COPD patients can degrade to the point where their breathing system does not recognize high levels of carbon dioxide buildup.
Their breathing mechanism will respond to low levels of oxygen instead.
So applying oxygen for treatment of a COPD patient can potentially shut down the respiratory drive.
However, COPD is a secondary issue.
The oxygen is required for treatment of the main injury or illness.
The main point is to monitor and ensure that if the respiratory drive shuts down, start rescue breathing or CPR (if no signs of circulation).
Bronchiectasis:
Is a disease that causes localized, irreversible dilatation of part of the bronchial tree.
It is classified as an obstructive lung disease, along with bronchitis and cystic fibrosis.
Involved bronchi are dilated, inflamed, and easily collapsible, resulting in airflow obstruction and impaired clearance of secretions.
Bronchiectasis is associated with a wide range of disorders, but it usually results from necrotizing bacterial infections, such as infections caused by the Staphylococcus or Klebsiella species or Bordetella pertussis.Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laënnec, the man who invented the stethoscope, used his creation to first discover bronchiectasis in 1819.
The disease was researched in greater detail by Sir William Osler in the late 1800s; in fact, it is suspected that Osler actually died of complications from undiagnosed bronchiectasis
It is classified as an obstructive lung disease, along with bronchitis and cystic fibrosis.
Involved bronchi are dilated, inflamed, and easily collapsible, resulting in airflow obstruction and impaired clearance of secretions.
Bronchiectasis is associated with a wide range of disorders, but it usually results from necrotizing bacterial infections, such as infections caused by the Staphylococcus or Klebsiella species or Bordetella pertussis.Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laënnec, the man who invented the stethoscope, used his creation to first discover bronchiectasis in 1819.
The disease was researched in greater detail by Sir William Osler in the late 1800s; in fact, it is suspected that Osler actually died of complications from undiagnosed bronchiectasis
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