Signs + Symptoms of Respiratory Disease Flashcards
What are 4 cardinal signs of respiratory disease
- Dyspnea (subjective awareness of increased effort)
- Chest pain
- Cough (including sputum and blood)
- Abnormal sounds (wheeze, stridor)
What 2 features of chest pain can help to identify cause?
- Location (Central or non central)
- Cardiac or Pleuritic (Dull, poorly localised or sharp, well localised)
(Pleuritic can have referred pain to shoulder tip, and is worse with coughing and breathing in)
Compare a Bovine and Seal Cough
These are its ‘Character’
Bovine;
- Weak
Seal/ ‘Croupy’;
- ‘Barking’
How does Sputum appear in COPD and Chronic Bronchitis?
Large volumes can suggest Bronchiectasis
Clear (no infection)
How does Sputum appear in infection?
Yellow or Green
Yellow live, green dead neutrophils
What 3 non-respiratory causes of cough
- LV Failure (pink frothy sputum)
- GORD
- Drugs (ACE Inhibitors)
Wheeze and Stridor are abnormal breath sounds.
What do they indicate?
Narrowing within airway causing turbulent flow
Describe a Wheeze
When does it occur usually?
Do you need a stethoscope to hear it?
- High pitched, Musical
- Mostly on expiration
- Narrowing in Intrathoracic airways (worsened with expiration)
- May only be audible with stethoscope
Describe Stridor
When does it occur usually?
Do you need a stethoscope to hear it?
- High pitched, Constant, Loud
- Mostly on inspiration
- Narrowing in Extrathoracic airway (Larynx, Trachea) (Worse during inspiration)
- Often audible without stethoscope
List some aspects of Inspection that could suggest respiratory disease
- Raised RR
Face;
- Central Cyanosis
- Pursed lip breathing
Chest;
- Barrel chest (other abnormalities too)
Hands;
- Peripheral Cynosis
- Clubbing
Compare the physiology of Central and Peripheral Cyanosis
Central;
- Deoxygenated blood leaving heart
- Significant cardiac or respirator cause
Peripheral;
- Slowing of blood to peripheries means less O2 reaching
- Cold exposure and decreased CO
Which condition is Pursed Lip breathing seen in commonly?
How does it help?
COPD
- Increases resistance to expiration outflow
- Maintains Intrathoracic airway pressures allowing for small airways to stay open longer
(This allows more gas exchange and more air to empty)
What are 2 ways Palpation can help identify cause of Respiratory disease?
- Tracheal position
- Chest expansion symmetrical or not
What is a normal breath sound described as?
What does it sound like?
When is it heard?
Vesicular
- Sounds like ‘Rustling leaves’
- Heard during Inspiration and 1st part of Expiration
- No gap between inspiratory and expiratory components
Describe ‘Bronchial’ breathing
over areas of uniform tissue such as Consolidation due to Pneumonia
- Harsh ‘Blowing’ sound
- Heard during Inspiration and Expiration
- Gap between Inspiratory and Expiratory components
