Acute interstitial pneumonia is otherwise known as?

Appeared in: DSSSB - 29 August 2019 (Shift-2)

Explanation

Acute Interstitial Pneumonia (AIP) is an eponymously known as Hamman-Rich syndrome.
It is a rare, rapidly progressive, and often fatal form of idiopathic interstitial lung disease.
The clinical presentation is acute respiratory distress and hypoxemia, often following a brief viral-like illness.
The underlying pathology is diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), which is indistinguishable from that seen in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), but AIP is idiopathic (has no known cause).

Option A: Bronchitis is the inflammation of the large airways (bronchi), not the lung interstitium (the tissue and space around the air sacs).
Option B: Acute bronchiolitis is the inflammation of the small airways (bronchioles). It is most common in infants and is typically caused by a virus.
Option C: Acute nasopharyngitis is the medical term for the common cold, which is an infection of the upper respiratory tract (nose and throat).

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Synonyms for Acute Interstitial Pneumonia as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
AIP (Hamman-Rich syndrome) is a medical emergency due to its rapid progression to respiratory failure, with a mortality rate greater than 50%.
Nursing care is primarily supportive and focuses on maintaining oxygenation and ventilation, often requiring admission to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for mechanical ventilation.
It is crucial to differentiate AIP from ARDS. While the lung injury is similar, ARDS is caused by a specific trigger (e.g., sepsis, trauma, aspiration), whereas AIP is idiopathic. This distinction is important for prognosis and management discussions.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question that tests your knowledge of medical terminology.
First, identify the key term in the question stem: 'Acute interstitial pneumonia'.
Next, recall or deduce the synonym for this condition from your knowledge base.
Evaluate each option to see which one is a recognized synonym.
Option A, B, and C describe inflammation of different parts of the respiratory tract (bronchi, bronchioles, nasopharynx) and are distinct from an interstitial pneumonia.
Option D, 'Hamman-Rich syndrome', is the historical eponym for Acute Interstitial Pneumonia.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 2 p. 169-171

E6 Pathology-Textbook of PATHOLOGYHarsh Mohan Part 2 (215-514) p. 66-68

E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 2 p. 314-316

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