respiratory and breathlessness Flashcards
what is characteristic of chest pain due to resp disease?
sharp, exacerbated by deep inspiration or coughing, commonly localised to one area of chest
pleuritic pain: associated with dyspnoea. may be due to pneumonia, pulmonary embolus or pneumothorax
what causes wheeze?
airflow limitation due to asthma, chronic airways disease, foreign body or tumour.
usually expiratory, inspiratory (stridor) suggest large obsturction
what previous conditions predispose to further episodes?
TB, pneumonia, DVT/PE, asthma and chronic bronchitis or emphysema
why is fhx important in resp disease?
TB can be spread to close contacts
CF and a1atd inherited
why are occupation and hobbies important in resp history?
dust and fumes-particularly asbestos
mouldy hay, humidifiers, air condiitoners->allergic alveolitis
animals and birds
what medications are relevant to resp disease?
steroids predispose reactivation of TB
resp side effects: ACEi cough, interstitial lung disease from methotrexate or cyclophosphamide, bronchospasm from BB or NSAID
cocaine can cause lung disease
IV drug users at risk of lung abscesses and drug-related pulmonary oedema
what are the causes of acute and chronic cough?
acute: infective
chronic: asthma copd, GOR, use of ACEi
what causes a productive vs dry cough?
productive: bronchiectasis (large vol), chronic bronchitis
dry: ACEi, GOR
what does the colour of sputum suggest?
purulent yellow/green: bronchiectasis, lobar pneumonia
dark and foul smeeling: lung abscess
yellow: asthma
pink frothy sputum: pulmonary oedema
what causes haemoptysis?
lung cancer until prove otherwise
TB, bronchiectasis, pulmonary infartion, trauma, generalised bleeding disorders, arteriovebous malformations
what causes a cough to be worse in the morning/evening/after food?
‘smokers cough’
asthma, HF
GOR
what are some trigger factors for a cough caused by allergy?
pollen, dust, cold air
what can cough, wheeze, pleuritic chest pain and sob be caused by?
asthma, copd, chest infections
why is travel important in the history of a cough?
TB more prevalent in Asia and Africa
pneumonia from abroad needs to be covered by abx that produce atypical organisms
why is the childhood history of resp disease important in cough?
pneumonia or whooping cough may lead to bronchiectasis
childhood asthma may represent
progressive cough and sputum from childhood could by cystic fibrosis
why is the onset of dyspnoea important?
sudden: inhaled foreign body, pneumothorax, PE, asthma
develops over a few hours: asthma, pneumonia, pulmonary oedema, extrinisc allergic alveolitis
over a few days: asthma, pleural effusion, pulmonary oedema
over months/years: copd, fibrosing alveolitis, non-resp e.g. anaemia
what causes chest pain and breathlessness?
MI, pneumothorax, PE
when might someone experience othopnoea (sob when lying flat)?
heart disease
what causes paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea?
if pulmonary oedema from LV failure, often with cough with frothy pink sputum
asthma
what causes tingling in fingers or light-headedness when sob?
decreased pco2 that occurs with hyperventilation
what is normal respiratpry rate/
<15 per min
increased in fever and severe lung disease
what signs in the hand and nails suggest resp disease/
clubbing: lung cancer, fibrosing alveolitis, lung abscess, bronchiectasis and empyema
wasting of muscles: lung cancer
peripheral cyanosis
red/warm/clammy=co2 retention
what type of tremor does co2 retention cause?
flapping
what signs in the eyes and face indicate resp disease?
horners syndrome=apical lung cancer
central cyanosis under tongue=hypoxaemia