The breathless patient Flashcards
Name the respiratory causes of breathlessness
Asthma
COPD
Pneumonia
Lung cancer
Name the cardiovascular causes of breathlessness
Heart failure
pulmonary oedema
Pulmonary embolism
AF
Other causes of breathlessness
Obesity Anaemia Pneumothorax Panic attacks Iatrogenic - caused by medical treatment e.g beta blockers Choking
What does digital clubbing indicate?
Lung cancer
Bronchiectasis
Pulmonary fibrosis
Cardiavascular disease
What is cyanosis?
Bluing of the fingers and lips due to hypoxia
what is ventilation/perfusion matching ?
99mTc albumin (radioactively tagged protein binds to blood )
Xenon-133 gas is inhaled
Used to detect where the gas and blood flows ; they should be perfectly matched
Pulmonary embolism is detected by a mismatch
Pneumonia
Inflammation of alveoli due to bacterial or viral infection
Fluid accumulates in the alveoli and impairs gaseous exchange
Pleural rub
Inflammation of pleura
wheezing upon expiration indicates
COPD or asthma
Early Inspiratory crackles are associated with
airway disease such as chronic bronchitis ; the crackles are caused by large airways
late inspiratory crackles are associated with
pneumonia, congestive heart failure, pulmonary oedema, bronchiectasis
Chronic heart failure (also known as congestive heart failure)
What is it
Causes
Symptoms
Cardiac output insufficient for bodies needs
Due to left ventricular failure from damage to heart from CAD, excessive alcohol/smoking/infection
Symptoms - pulmonary oedema, sensation of drowning (cardiac asthma), breathless on lying down
which is relived by sitting up (orthopnoea), inspiritory crackles, leg swelling
Fluid accumulation occurs due to congestion of capillaries