A few flashcards from Respiratory Examination
What is the basic structure of the examination?
– Introduction & explanation – Inspection – Palpation – Percussion (a new skill for respiratory) – Auscultation
As well as just looking at the patient, what is it always useful to do?
Look around the patient
What can Horner’s syndrome be a sign of?
Lung tumour
What can prominent veins on the chest wall be a sign of and what would you then look for following this observation being made?
SVC obstruction
JVP observation
What must you bear in mind with percussion?
You are comparing right to left - therefore don’t do one complete side followed by the other…instead alternate it.
Percuss over the intercostal space
What is vesicular breathing?
Normal breathing
What does crackling/crepitations suggest?
Fluid or fibrosis
What is a key part of the conclusion?
Thanking the patient
What is conjunctival pallor a sign of?
Anaemia
What could a raised JVP suggest?
Increased pulmonary arterial pressure and right ventricular failure
