Shortness of Breath Flashcards
What are the 6 Causes of Shortness of Breath?
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Heart Failure
- (Silent) MI
- GI Bleed/Anaemia/Peptic Ulcer
- Anxiety Attack
- Pneumothorax
What is a Pulmonay Embolism?
A Pulmonary Embolism is a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries. In most cases, a PE is caused by blood clots that travel to the lungs from deep veins in the legs or, rarely, from veins in other parts of the body. When clots form in your lower legs, it is known as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Signs and Symptoms of PE
- Sudden onset of SOB
- Sharp Chest Pain
- Hemoptysis (blood in sputum)
PE Risk Factors
- Recent long flight
- recent surgery
- Pregnancy
- Use of contraceptive medication
- History of immobility
- Lower leg pain/swelling
Clinical Findings for a PE
- Tachypnoea
- Chest Auscultation normal
- ECG: Slurred S wave in lead I, Pathological Q and inverted T wave in lead III
- Reduced SpO2
What is Heart Failure?
Heart failure is where the heart does not pump properly. Can affect the left and right side (diastole/systole). Diastolic failure means the ventricle doesn’t fill with blood properly. Systolic failure happens when the ventricles cant contract properly, preventing adequate blood supply to the body.
Signs and Symptoms of Heart Failure
- Chest pain
- Lower limb and lower back swelling
- Abdominal swelling
- Hemopytsis (blood ejected from the lungs)
Clinical Findings of Heart Failure
- Course crackles at the base of the posterior wall
- Peripheral/ or sacral oedema
- Ascites (fluid in the abdomen)
- ECG showing tall R waves in I, aVL, V4-V6 and large S wave
depth in III, aVR, V1-V3 - Tachypnoea
What is an MI? (Silent MI)
A myocardial infraction is when there as occlusion of the hearts artery. This is caused by a build up of plaque on the walls, reducing blood flow. As a result the tissue is starved of oxygen.
Signs and Symptoms of Silent MI
- SOB
- Pale/clammy skin
- Nausea/Vomiting
- High risk patients: Elderly female and diabetes (usually don’t present with chest pain)
Clinical Findings of Silent MI
- Tachypnoea
- ECG showing ST Elevation (STEMI)
- ECG showing ST depression or inverted T waves
- Jugular Venous Distension (JVD)
What is a GI bleed? What is the General Cause of GI bleedings?
GI bleeding is bleeding in the digestive tract, commonly caused by peptic ulcers. Peptic ulcers are sores that can be formed from long term anti-inflammatory drug use. Internal bleeding can cause hypovolaemia (decreased volume of blood circulating in the body) causing the following symptoms
Signs and Symptoms of a GI bleed (6)
- Dizziness
- Pale skin
- Hematemesis (vomiting blood)
- Melena (dark tarry stools)
- Shortness of breath
- Long term use of NSAIDs
Clinical Findings of GI Bleed (5)
- Tachypnoea
- Reduced SP02
- Tachycardia
- Normal respiratory and cardiac assessment
- Abdominal tenderness on palpation
What is a Panick Attack?
A panic attack will cause a person to hyperventilate. If they hyperventilate for long periods of time they can cause themselves to go unconscious. Can usually be fixed using coaching methods alone.
