Clinical skills: respiratory history and exam Flashcards
What are the systems review questions?
URTIs - runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, post nasal drip, ear blockage/pain/discharge
Coughing
Wheezing
Stridor
Dyspnea
Sputum
Haemoptysis
Epistaxis
Chest pain
Face pain
Hoarseness of voice
Snoring/apnea
Fatigue
Fever
Unexplained weight loss
Night sweats
What are the 4 risk factors? Where do you ask?
Exposure to allergens/irritants (in PMHx)
Smoking (DASH)
Occupation
Recent travel
What are the steps to the respiratory exam?
Initial approach
General inspection
Vital signs
Hands and wrists
Face
Neck
Chest
Heart
Liver
Lower limb
INITIAL APPROACH
What three things should you do?
Initial 7 steps
Position patient correctly and examine with adequate exposure
Ask patient if they’re in pain/discomfort before and during exam.
GENERAL INSPECTION
What are you looking for?
Cough/breathing
- Cough
- Wheeze
- Stridor
- Dyspnea
- Use of accessory muscles during breathing
- Breathing pattern (rate, depth, symmetry, normal rise and fall)
Voice
- Hoarseness
Face
- Pallor
- Plethora (red cheeks)
General
- Body build
- Hydration
- Cigarette packet
VITAL SIGNS
What vital signs should you measure?
Is it okay to skip?
Blood pressure
Pulse
Respiratory rate
Pulse oximeter
Temperature
Pulsus paradoxus
Yes
HANDS AND WRISTS
What are you looking for?
What are you feeling for?
Look
- Peripheral cyanosis
- Clubbing
- Tar staining
- Muscle wasting
Feel
- Muscle weakness (grip strength)
- Wrist tenderness
- Flapping tremor
HANDS AND WRISTS
What might muscle wasting on one side be due to?
How to test for flapping tremor?
Apical lung tumour - affects the brachial plexus
Get patient to put arms out in front of them, extend wrists and abduct fingers. Ordinarily would get to hold for 1 minute. Looking for hands flapping like a bird.
FACE
What to inspect for?
General
- Plethora (red cheeks)
- Icterus (jaundice)
Eyes
- Icterus (jaundice - whites)
- Pallour (conjunctiva)
- Horner’s syndrome
Nose
- Paranasal sinuses
Mouth/throat
- Crowding of pharynx
- Central cyansosis (tongue)
- Teeth
What is the cause of Horner’s syndrome, and signs?
Apical lung tumour
Small pupil, no sweating on side of face
Neck: what 5 things?
Pemberton’s sign for one minute
Trachea position
Trachea tug
JVP
Cervical lymph nodes
NECK
How to perform Pemberton’s sign?
Get patient to hold hands above head for 1 minute
NECK
What are 3 key features of Pemberton’s sign?
Facial congestion
Cyanosis
Difficulty breathing
NECK
What is the cause of Pemberton’s sign?
Due to thoracic outlet obstruction (SVC syndrome) due to a mass in the mediastinum – eg. tumour, retrosternal goitre, mediastinal lymphadenopathy
NECK
What are the 9 lymph node groups you need to feel for, in order?
Submental, submandibular, pre-aureicular, post aureicular, posterior chain, supraclavicular, subclavicular, anterior chain, occipital