Respiratory Examination

Question 1

General inspection findings in resp exam

Answer 1

Accessory muscle breathing
Pursed lip breathing
Cachexia
Oxygen
Fluids
Medications

Question 2

What is pursed lip breathing indicative of

Answer 2

Lower airway obstruction

Question 3

What is cachexia indicative of

Answer 3

COPD/Malignancy

Question 4

Hands findings in resp exam

Answer 4

Peripheral cyanosis
Temperature
Dilated veins
Tar staining
1st web space wasting

Question 5

What are dilated veins indicative of

Answer 5

Hypercapnia

Question 6

What is 1st web space wasting indicative

Answer 6

T1 lesion

Question 7

Nails findings in resp exam

Answer 7

Clubbing

Koilonychia

Question 8

Resp causes of clubbing

Answer 8

Cancer
Interstitial lung disease
TB
Abscess
Bronchiectasis
Empyema
Mesothelioma

Question 9

Wrist findings in resp exam

Answer 9

Flapping tremor
Fine tremor
Radial pulse

Question 10

What is flapping tremor indicative of

Answer 10

CO2 retention

Question 11

What is fine tremor indicative of

Answer 11

Beta agonist (salbutamol)

Question 12

What is a bounding radial pulse indicative of

Answer 12

Hypercapnia

Question 13

Eye findings in resp exam

Answer 13

Conjunctival pallor

Horners

Question 14

What is indicative of horners syndrome and what could be the cause

Answer 14

Miosis, ptosis

T1 lesion

Question 15

Mouth findings in resp exam

Answer 15

Central cyanosis

Candida

Question 16

What is candida indicative of

Answer 16

Steroid inhaler use

immunocompromised

Question 17

Neck findings in resp exam

Answer 17

JVP
Trachea deviation
Lymph nodes
Cricosternal distance

Question 18

What is trachea deviation indicative of

Answer 18

Pneumothorax

Effusion

Question 19

What is a reduced cricosternal distance indicative of

Answer 19

COPD

Question 20

What are tender lymph nodes indicative of

Answer 20

infection

Question 21

What are non-tender lymph node masses indicative of

Answer 21

Malignancy

Question 22

Chest inspection findings in respiratory

Answer 22

Scars
Deformity of chest/spine
Barrel chest

Question 23

What are chest scars indicative of

Answer 23

Surgery

Previous chest drains

Question 24

What are chest/spine deformities indicative of

Answer 24

Restrictive lung conditions

Scoliosis
Pectus Excavatum
Pectus Carinatum

Question 25

What is barrel chest indicative of

Answer 25

COPD

Question 26

Chest palpation findings in resp exam

Answer 26

Asymmetry of expansion
Apex beat displacement
RV heave

Question 27

What is asymmetry of chest expansion indicative of

Answer 27

pleural effusion

pneumothorax

Question 28

What is apex beat displacement indicative of

Answer 28

Mediastinal shift (collapse, tension, effusion)

Question 29

What is RV heave indicative of

Answer 29

Right ventricular hypertrophy

Cor pulmonale

Question 30

Chest percussion findings and causes in resp exam

Answer 30

Hyper-resonant - pneumothorax
Dull - pneumonia, lung cancer
Stony-dull - pleural effusion

Question 31

Chest auscultation findings in resp exam

Answer 31

Wheeze
Crepitations
Vocal resonance

Question 32

What is a wheeze indicative of

Answer 32

Small airway obstruction (asthma, COPD)

Question 33

What are crepitations indicative of

Answer 33

Fluid in airspaces (pus, tissue fluid etc)

Question 34

What is increased vocal resonance indicative of

Answer 34

Consolidation

Question 35

What is decreased vocal resonance indicative of

Answer 35

Collapse, effusion, pneumothorax

Question 36

Back findings in resp exam

Answer 36

Sacral oedema

Question 37

Ankle findings in resp exam

Answer 37

Peripheral oedema

Question 38

To complete examination for resp exam

Answer 38

Check sputum samples
Peak flow
Spirometry
ABG
Chest x-ray