respiratory:start
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Respiratory Pharmacology
pharmacology respiratory
Respiratory drugs treat disease through two fundamentally different mechanisms:
Airway Disease → bronchoconstriction + inflammation → bronchodilators & inhaled steroids
Parenchymal Disease → tissue injury + fibrosis → antifibrotics & immunosuppression
AIRWAY DISEASE
Obstructive physiology → REVERSIBLE airflow limitation
Core Diseases
Bronchodilators
Anti-Inflammatory Controllers
Severe Asthma Biologics
Symptom Control
PARENCHYMAL DISEASE
Restrictive physiology → IRREVERSIBLE tissue damage / immune injury
Interstitial Lung Disease
Antifibrotic Therapy
Immune-Mediated Lung Disease Treatment
Key Concept
Bronchodilators DO NOT treat pulmonary fibrosis Antifibrotics DO NOT open airways
Students mix these constantly — boards love this distinction.
High-Yield Comparison
| Feature | Asthma/COPD | Pulmonary Fibrosis |
|---|---|---|
| Primary problem | Airway narrowing | Alveolar scarring |
| Physiology | Obstructive | Restrictive |
| Reversibility | Yes | No |
| Main drugs | Bronchodilators + ICS | Antifibrotics |
| Goal of therapy | Improve airflow | Slow decline |
This page is organized by mechanism of disease, not by drug class — mirroring clinical reasoning and board exam logic.
respiratory/start.1771165098.txt.gz · Last modified: by andrew2393cns