Dyspnea DSA Flashcards
How do we determine whether a patient has a symptom of dyspnea and distinguish it from respiratory distress?
Rely on patients self-description.
Sensation of dyspnea originates at the _________.
cerebral CTX
What are the 2 main mechanisms that causes dyspnea?
- Impaired ventilatory mechanisms
- Increase in respiratory drive
In cardiopulm cases, both of these will exist.
What can cause impaired ventillation => dyspnea?
- - Airflow obstruction (asthma and COPD)
- - Muscle weakness
- - Decrease chest wall compliance (kyphoscoliosis and obesity)
What can cause increase in respriatory drive => dyspnea?
- Parenchymal or pulmonary vascular lung disease
- CHF
- Chemoreceptor simulation (hypoxemia, hypercapnia, acidemia)
- Impraired gas exhcange
- PG
- Behavioral factors like hypervent, panic attacks
How do we diagnose dyspnea?
Hx and PE
When should we transfer a patient with dyspnea to acute care setting?
- BAD tachypnea
- Use of accessory muscles
- Conversational dyspnea
Describe the MRC Dyspnea Scale
- Grade 1: breathlessnes ONLY when working out
- Grade 2: SOB when walking up a straight hill
- Grade 3: walks slower than NL on the level, stops after 1 mile or after 15 min walking at own pace
- Grade 4: stops to breath after walking 100 yards or after a few min on ground level
- Grade 5: too OOB to leave house/OOB when undressing.
How quickly does acute dyspnea develop?
rapidly over minutes to a day
What are cardiovascular causes of acute dyspnea?
- -Acute decrease in function of LV
- -Anything that causes increase in pulmonary capillary pressure
- Acute coronary sundrome
- Tachycardia
- Cardiac tamponade
-
What are respiratory causes of acute dyspnea?
- Airway dysfunction (bronchoaspsm, aspiration, obstruction)
- Pneumonia/ ARDS causing a disruption in gas exchange
- PE
- Distrub ventillary pump (pleural effusion, pneumothorax, respiratory muscle weakness)
How should a patient with acute dyspnea be treated on arrival?
STABILIZE
1. Take vital signs
2. Respiratory support if needed
- supplimental O2
- Invasive or noninvasive O2
Once we stabilize a patient with acute dypnea, what are the next steps?
- PE can provide clues of differentials
- CXR (primary diagnostic tool) can indicate cause or further exam
What findings on CXR would indicate:
pneumonia
pneumothorax
pleural effusion
HF
- pneumonia: focal infiltrates
- pneumothorax: air in pleural space
- pleural effusion: basal opacity w meniscus
- HF: cardiomegaly and vascular congestion
How can we exclude heart failure when a patient presents with acute dyspnea?
Check to see if serum BNP level is less than 100 pg/mL