Respiratory Diseases Flashcards
what is haemoptysis?
the coughing up of blood from the respiratory tract
what are the causes of haemoptysis?
-chest infection
-Inhaled foreign body
-pulmonary oedema
-lung cancer
what is dyspnoea?
the sensation of shortness of breath
what are the common causes of rapid onset dyspnoea?
-asthma
-pulmonary embolus
-Inhaled foreign body
what are the common causes of gradual onset dyspnoea?
-obstructive airway disease (COPD)
-malignancy
what is orthopnoea?
shortness of breath caused by lying down
breathlessness at rest is classed as how many breaths per minute?
> 12
what does breathlessness at rest indicate?
respiratory or cardiac problem
define ‘wheeze’
a multi-pitch (polyphonic) expiratory sound
what may a wheeze indicate?
a small-airway obstruction i.e. asthma
define ‘stridor’
a harsh rasping sound on inspiration
what is stridor indicative of?
upper airway obstruction such as laryngeal oedema due to allergic swelling or a foreign body in the larynx
what are the respiratory aetiologies of finger clubbing?
-bronchial carcinoma
-chronic suppurative lung disease
-asbestosis
-fibrosing alveoli’s
-familial
what does cynanosis in the extremities indicate?
poor perfusion or cardiac output
what does central cyanosis indicate?
hypoventilation
parenchymal lung disease
heart failure
right-to-left artery-venous malformation
