The breathless patient

Question 1

Name the respiratory causes of breathlessness

Answer 1

Asthma
COPD
Pneumonia
Lung cancer

Question 2

Name the cardiovascular causes of breathlessness

Answer 2

Heart failure
pulmonary oedema
Pulmonary embolism
AF

Question 3

Other causes of breathlessness

Answer 3

Obesity 
Anaemia
Pneumothorax 
Panic attacks 
Iatrogenic - caused by medical treatment e.g beta blockers 
Choking

Question 4

What does digital clubbing indicate?

Answer 4

Lung cancer
Bronchiectasis
Pulmonary fibrosis
Cardiavascular disease

Question 5

What is cyanosis?

Answer 5

Bluing of the fingers and lips due to hypoxia

Question 6

what is ventilation/perfusion matching ?

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Pneumonia

Answer 7

Inflammation of alveoli due to bacterial or viral infection

Fluid accumulates in the alveoli and impairs gaseous exchange

Question 8

Pleural rub

Answer 8

Inflammation of pleura

Question 9

wheezing upon expiration indicates

Answer 9

COPD or asthma

Question 10

Early Inspiratory crackles are associated with

Answer 10

airway disease such as chronic bronchitis ; the crackles are caused by large airways

Question 11

late inspiratory crackles are associated with

Answer 11

pneumonia, congestive heart failure, pulmonary oedema, bronchiectasis

Question 12

Chronic heart failure (also known as congestive heart failure)
What is it
Causes
Symptoms

Answer 12

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