Respiratory Exam Flashcards
What do you look for in end of the bed inspection
Treatments around the bed
Cyanosis
Shortness of breath
Cough
Wheeze
Stridor - noisy breathing due to obstructed airway
Cachexia - weakness and wasting of the body due to severe chronic illness
What do you look for when inspecting the hands
Dorsal:
Peripheral cyanosis
Palmar:
Bruising or thinned skin
Tar staining
What is bruising or thinned skin caused by
Long-term steroid use
What causes tar staining
Smoking
What do you assess for when holding arms out
fine tremor
Asterixis
What causes fine tremor
Beta-2 agonist use (salbutamol)
What causes asterixis
CO2 retention
What is a normal breathing rate
12-20 breaths per minute
What causes a raised JVP
Cor pulmonale - abnormal enlargement of the right side of the heart due to pulmonary disease
What do you look for when inspecting the face
Central cyanosis (hypoxia) Conjunctival pallor (anaemia) Angular stomatitis
What do you inspect for when looking at the chest
Chest wall deformities
Scars
Which scar locations indicate what
Central chest - sternotomy and thoracotomy
Clavicular - pacemaker
Mid-axillary - Chest drain
Under arms - Lateral thoracotomy
What should the cricosternal distance be
3-4 fingers
What do reduced lung expansion indicate
Lung collapse
Pneumonia
What causes dull resonance in percussion
Consolidation
Collapse
Effusion
What are the types of breathing during auscultation
Inspiration stridor
Wheeze
Coarse crackles
fine crackles
What causes Inspiration stridor
Upper airway obstruction
What causes Wheeze
Asthma and COPD
What causes Coarse crackles
Pneumonia and pulmonary oedema
What causes fine crackles
Pulmonary fibrosis
What can cause increases vocal resonance
Consolidation
Lobar collapse
Tumour
What can cause decreased vocal resonance
Pleural Effusion
What are the causes of lympadenopathy
Infection
Malignancy
Sarcoidosis - small patches of red and swollen tissue (granulomas) to develop in the organs of the body
What cause types of percussion resonance in the posterior chest wall
Dullness: Consolidation or collapse
Stony dullness: Pleural effusion
Hyper resonant: pneumothorax
