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
What does hyper resonant percussion of the lungs mean?
Increased air
Pneumothorax
What does dull percussion of the lungs mean?
Consolidation
What do fine crackles indicate?
Pulmonary fibrosis
What do coarse crackles indicate?
COPD
Bronchiectasis
Pulmonary oedema
What does stony dull percussion of the lungs mean?
Fluid
e.g. pleural effusion
What does bronchial breathing suggest?
Why?
Pneumonia
- Consolidated alveoli act like solid
- Conduct the breath sounds from larger airways easier
