RESP HISTORY TAKING

Question 1

What are common presenting complaints in regards to resp?

Answer 1

dysopnea (shortness of breath)
cough
haemoptysis (coughing up blood)
wheezing
chest pain

Question 2

What would you ask in regards to a complaint in dysopnea

Answer 2

• Acute, progressive or paroxysmal (sudden)?
• Compare to baseline (how far could you walk before without getting short of breath)
• Presence of triggers
• Is there an associated wheeze

Question 3

What would you ask in regards to a complaint in a cough

Answer 3

Duration of cough
If it’s acute or chronic
If there is related sputum (mucus brought up by coughing) involved
What is the colour of the sputum?
What is the quantity of the sputum?
What is the character of the cough? (Bovine, whooping, barking)
Is the cough worse at night?
Is there haemoptysis involved?

Question 4

What would you ask in regards to haemoptysis?

Answer 4

Quantity
Evolution (did the cough first start without haemoptysis)
Differentiate from nausea, vomiting, and nasopharyngeal bleeding

Question 5

What would you ask in terms of a wheeze?

Answer 5

Any triggers that cause wheezing
Duration: chronic or acute?

Question 6

What other symptoms can a patient present with?

Answer 6

coryzal symptoms (rhinorrhea, sinusitis, sneezing, blocked ears)
nosebleed
sleep apnoea (breathing difficulty during sleep)
dizziness and fainting
constitutional symptoms (weight loss, night sweats, fatigue)
fevers, chills, rigors