Bronchiectasis is a lung condition where the airways become abnormally widened and damaged. This causes mucus to build up and become infected in the lungs. There are three main types - cylindrical, saccular, and cystic - which differ in the severity of airway distortion. Risk factors include lung infections from pneumonia, tuberculosis, or cystic fibrosis that damage the airways. Symptoms include daily coughing of large amounts of mucus, fatigue, and recurring chest infections. Diagnosis involves chest imaging, pulmonary function tests, and bronchoscopy. Treatment focuses on airway clearance techniques, antibiotics for infections, and medications to thin mucus and open airways.

1. By
Mr. Anandh Sam Perera. S
Professor, PDMSNC

2. Definition
 Bronchiectasis is a type of COPD in which mucus
accumulates and sticks in the bronchi.
 As a result, the airways become infected and inflamed,
eventually leading to enlarged and weak airways, which
allow more mucus and bacteria to accumulate. This leads
to repeated serious lung infection

3. TYPES
 Cylindrical :
It is the mildest form and reflects the loss of normal tapering of
the airways. The symptoms may be quite mild, like a chronic
cough and usually are discovered on CT scans of the chest.

4. Saccular :
 It is more severe, with further distortion of the
airway wall and symptomatically affected persons
produce more sputum

5.  Cystic:
It is the most severe form. This often occurred in the pre-
antibiotic era, when an infection would run its cause and the
patient would survive with residual lung damage. These
patients often would have a chronic productive cough,
bringing up a cup or more of discolored mucus each day.

7. Etiology and risk factors:
 A lung infection may cause bronchiectasis. For eg. Severe pneumonia,
Measles, TB – can injure the airways and lead to bronchiectasis.
 Some of the conditions damage the airways and raise the risk of lung
infections are
 Cystic fibrosis
 Severe pneumonia
 Whooping cough
 TB
 Immunodeficiency disorder
 Rheumatoid arthritis
 Bronchial obstruction
 Alcohol and drug abuse and inflammatory bowel disease.

8. Pathophysiology
Due to etiological factors
Injury to the walls of airway
Inflammation
Pooling of secretions in the distorted airways
Increases the risk of infections into the airspaces of the
lungs
Respiratory failure

9. Clinical Manifestations:
 Coughing of lots of sputum
 Foul smelling mucus
 Tiredness and poor concentration
 Wheezing
 Hemoptysis
 Chronic sinusitis
 Constant runny nose
 Chest pain and joint pain
 Recurring chest infections
 Abnormal chest sounds
 Weakness, wt.loss, clubbing of fingers.

10. Diagnostic Evaluation:
 H.C – complain of daily cough and sputum production
 P.E – reveal wheezing and crackles
 Chest x-ray and CT Scan
 PFT
 Bronchoscopy

11. Management
 Goals:
 Treat any underlying conditions and lung infections
 Help remove mucus from lungs
 Prevent complications
 Bronchodilators:
Inhaled aerosol spray, eg. Albuterol
Anticholinergic. Eg. Ipratropium bromide
 Steroids:
eg. Salmeterol & Fluticasone
 Antibiotics
amoxicillin, azithromycin
 Mucus thinners and Expectorants: eg. acetylcysteine

12.  Chest physio
 Daily exercise
 Postural drainage
 Hydration
 O2 therapy
 Surgical Management:
Lung Volume reduction surgery

13.  Ineffective airway clearance r/t broncho constriction,
increased mucus production
 Impaired gas exchange r/t decreased ventilation,
pulmonary obstruction
 Ineffective breathing pattern r/t shortness of breath,
mucus production
 Activity intolerance r/t fatique