Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about bronchiectasis.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero tofinals.com slash bronchiectasis

or in the respiratory section of the second edition of the zero to finals medicine book.

So let's get straight into it.

Bronchiacetosis involves permanent dilation of the bronchye, which are the large airways that

transport air to the lungs.

Sputum collects and organisms grow in the wide tubes, which results in a chronic cough,

continuous sputum production and recurrent infections.

Bronchiacetosis results from damage to the airways.

Potential causes of this damage include idiopathic, meaning no apparent cause,

pneumonia, whooping cough, or pertussis, tuberculosis,

alpha-1 antitripsin deficiency,

connective tissue disorders, for example, rheumatoid arthritis,

cystic fibrosis, and a condition called yellow nail syndrome.

A tom tip for you, yellow nail syndrome is characterized by yellow fingernails, bronchi-ectasis,

and lymphodema.

Patients are stable and they have good clinical signs which makes it a good choice for

OSCEs. As yellow nail syndrome is rare, examiners will score high marks if you can combine these

features and name the diagnosis. Let's go through the symptoms. The key presenting symptoms of bronchiectasis are shortness of breath,

a chronic, productive cough producing lots of sputum, recurrent chest infections, and weight loss.

Let's go through the signs. The signs of bronchiectasis on examination include a sputum pot by the bedside,

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