21) History Taking and Examination

Question 1

Name some of the 7 principal symptoms likely to be seen in respiratory conditions:

Answer 1

Chest pain
Breathlessness
Cough
Sputum
Haemoptysis 
Wheeze
Hoarseness

Question 2

Describe pleuritic chest pain:

Answer 2

Anywhere in the chest

Sharp and made worse by inspiration or coughing

Question 3

What can cause pleuritic chest pain?

Answer 3

Lobar pneumonia
Pulmonary embolism
Infarction
Pneumothorax

Question 4

Name some causes of dyspnoea:

Answer 4

Unfit
Infection 
Pleural effusion 
COPD
Anaemia 
Asthma
Pneumo-thorax

Question 5

How can dyspnoea be gauged?

Answer 5

MRC dyspnoea scale

Question 6

What is likely to be the cause of a cough of less than 3 weeks?

Answer 6

Chest infection

Question 7

What could be the causes of a cough of more than 3 weeks?

Answer 7

COPD
Asthma
Carcinoma
Medication (ACEi)

Question 8

What can cause haemoptysis?

Answer 8

Bronchitis 
Bronchial carcinoma 
TB
Pneumonia 
Pulmonary infarction

Question 9

What can cause a wheeze?

Answer 9

Asthma, COPD, foreign body

Question 10

What is stridor?

Answer 10

High pitched breath sound upon inspiration

Indicates narrowing or obstruction of airway

Question 11

What can cause hoarseness of voice?

Answer 11

Transient inflammation of vocal cords
Tumour of vocal cords
Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy -> bronchial carcinoma

Question 12

What drugs may be causing a respiratory condition?

Answer 12

ACEi - Cough
Beta blockers - Wheeze
Oestrogens - Embolism
Amiodarone - Fibrotic lung change