Clinical Signs + Symptoms Of Respiratory Disease Flashcards
Key signs and symptoms of respiratory disease
Dyspnoea
Chest pain (pleuritic)
Cough - dry, sputum, haemoptysis
Wheeze/stridor
Describe pleuritic pain
Sharp
Well localised
Worsens with coughing + breathing in deeply
What conditions present with clear sputum?
Chronic bronchitis
COPD
(no active infection)
What conditions present with yellow/green sputum?
Bronchiectasis
Pneumonia
Cystic fibrosis
Infection
What is the cause of pleuritic chest pain?
Irritation of parietal pleura
Describe the mechanism of a cough
- ADduction of vocal chords
- contraction of internal intercostal muscles + abdominal muscles
- intrathoracic pressure increases
- sudden ABduction of vocal chords
Differentials for haemoptysis
Lung cancer
Tuberculosis
What follow up questions should you ask if a patient presents with a cough?
Dry or productive
Character
Timing
What is the most common cause of acute cough?
Cold
URTI
What is a pink frothy sputum suggestive of?
LV heart failure
What does stridor indicate?
Narrowing of extrathoracic airway
supraglottis, glottis, infraglottis or trachea
Differentiate between wheeze and stridor
Wheeze
- narrowing in intrathoracic airways
- narrowing exacerbated during expiration
Stridor:
- narrowing in extrathoracic airways
- narrowing exacerbated during inspiration
What is pursed lip breathing commonly seen in?
Why?
COPD
- Pursing lips increases resistance to outflow on expiration
- maintains intra thoracic airway pressure > allows for small airways to remain open
- increased period for gas exchange to occur
What is barrel shaped chest indicative of?
Why?
COPD
- chronic over inflation of lungs due to air trapping
- hyperexpands the chest wall over time
Types of percussion of the lungs results
Resonant: normal
Hyper resonant: increased air
Dull: consolidation
Stony dull: fluid
