Conducting a clinical examination is far better than writing a clinical investigation.
Developing a knowledge of successful scrutiny rather than laboratory investigations is vital for a physician in order to diagnose and treat the patient.
4. Cough
4
•
•
•
•
•
•
Is it acute, subacute or chronic?
Dry or Productive?
Associated symptoms – fever, dyspnea,
chest pain, etc.?
Risk factors – Smoking, environmental
factors, HIV, family h/o TB ?
Symptoms of postnasal discharge,
GERD(Acid reflux)?
Is the patient on ACE (Angiotensin
converting enzyme)inhibitor?
5. Acute cough <3 week's
5
•
•
•
URI - Upper Respiratory Infection (URI or
Common Cold)
Pneumonia
Pulmonary embolism
6. Subacute cough (3- 8 weeks)
6
•
•
•
•
Viral infections
Post infectious
Post nasal drip (Secretions from the nose that
drain down into the throat, causing congestion
and cough. Postnasal drip is usually caused by
allergies or the common cold)
GERD
7. Chronic cough >8 weeks
7
•
•
•
• Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Asthma
COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary) disease
Bronchogenic CA (Bronchogenic carcinoma begin as a small
focus of atypical epithelial cells within the bronchial mucosa.)
• Eosinophilic bronchitis (Airway inflammation due to
•
•
excessive mast cell recruitment)
Post nasal drip
GERD
11. Sputum :
Copious Amount
❖ Bronchiectasis (condition in which the lungs airways become dama
making it hard to clear mucus.)
❖ Lung Abscess - formation of cavities (more than 2 cm) containing nec
debris or fluid caused by microbial infection.
❖ Necrotizing pneumonia (characterized by rapid progression
consolidation to necrosis and cavitation which may lead to pulmo
gangrene)
❖ Alveolar cell CA
❖ Empyema rupturing into bronchus
Postural variation
➢ Lung Abscess & Bronchiectasis
1
12. Color of sputum
12
❖Yellow / Green — Bacterial infection
❖Black — coal worker pneumoconiosis (inhalation of dust
has caused interstitial fibrosis)
❖Pink frothy sputum — Pulmonary edema
❖Anchovy sauce ( Brown colored pus to compared this
one )— Ruptured amoebic liver abscess.
15. Dyspnea
15
• Hours to Days
❖ARDS (Acute respiratory distress syndrome)
❖Bronchial Asthma
❖Pneumoia
16. Dyspnea
16
• Weeks to Months
❖ COPD
❖ILD - Interstitial Lung Disease (umbrella
term used for a large group of diseases
that cause scarring fibrosis of the lungs)
❖Pleural effusion
❖ Anemia
❖Thyrotoxicosis
31. Inspection
31
• Symmetry of chest
• Position of Trachea
• Position of Apex impulse
• Movements of chest
• Accessory muscles
• Hollowness/Bulging/flattening/retraction/
crowding of ribs
• Kyphosis / Scoliosis.
• Scar/sinus/dilated veins.
37. Symmetry of chest--
• Spinal deformity — Kyphosis , Scoliosis.
37
•
•
Bulging — Pleural effusion, Pneumothorax,
empyema necessitans (pleural space infections and
occurs when the infected fluid dissects spontaneously
into the chest wall from the pleural space.
Flattening or depression — Fibrosis, Collapse.
42. Local pain / tenderness
42
•
•
•
•
•
Empyema
Infiltration of chest wall by tumor
Osteomyelitis
Costochondritis
Herpes zoster
43. •
•
Chest expention – Normal 2 inch
< 1.5 inch..abnormal
•
•
Chest movements are assessed in all areas.
Inspection is better then palpation (for movements)
43
44. Chest expansion
General Restriction
•
•
•
•
• Extensive bilateral disorder
(abnormal accumulation of
surfactant-derived lipoprotein
compounds within the alveoli of
the lung)
COPD
ILD
Ankylosing spondylitis
Spinal deformity
•
•
•
•
•
44
Asymmetrical expansion
Pleural effusion
Pneumothorex
Consolidation
Collapse
Fibrosis
45. Percussion
45
• Position of Patient : Sitting
•
•
•
Anterior – Hands by the side
Posterior – Hands over opposite shoulders
Lateral – Hands over head.
51. Crackles
•
•
Short, Explosive, DiscontinuousNonmusical sounds
Bubbling/ clicking /Explosive sounds
• Mechanism:
•
•
Flow of air through secretions
Sudden opening of a succession of small airways, due to rapid equalization
of pressure between 2 airway compartments
• Types—Fine—Arisefrom alveoli
Coarse—Arise from bronchus& Bronchioles.
51
53. Pleural rub
• Friction of inflamed visceral & parietal pleural
surfaces against each other in respiration
• Creaking leathery sound
• During both phases
• Best heard at Lateral & Posterior bases of lung
53
54. Disease Mediastin
al shift
Percussion Breath
sounds
Added sounds
Consolida Midline Dull ↑ Crackles+ Rub+/-
tion Bronchial
(tubular)
Fibrosis Same side Impaired ↑/↓, Crackles+
Bronchial
Collapse Same side Dull ↓ Vesicular None
(Major
bronchus
obstructio
n)
Collapse Same side Dull ↑ Early – None Late
(Patent Bronchial – Coarse crackles
bronchus) tubular
54
55. Disease Mediastinal
shift
Percussi
on
Breath
sounds
Added sounds
Cavity Midline or
Same
side(if
associated
fibrosis)
Impaired ↑ Bronchial
(Cavernous)
Crackles +/-
Pleural
Effusion
Opposite
side
Stony
dull
↓ or Absent,
above level -
Bronchial
Pleural rub above
level
Pneumoth
orax
Opposite
side
Hyper-
resonant
↓ or Absent None
Emphyse
ma
Midline Hyper-
resonant
Low Wheeze +/-
But low
55
56. Clinical Examination of the
Respiratory system
Hands;
✓ Digital Clubbing (tar
staining)
✓ Peripheral cyanoisis,
✓ Signs of occupation,
✓ CO2 Retention flap.
Radial pulse;
✓ Rate,
✓ Rhythm.
Blood pressure;
✓ Arterial paradox?
Jugular venous pulse (JVP)
✓ Elevated?
✓ pulsatile?
56
57. Clinical Examination of
the Respiratory system
Face, Mouth, Eyes;
Pursed lips?
Central cyanosis,
Anaemia?
Horner’s sysndrome.
Inspection;
Scars,
Deformity(e.g, pectus
excavatus)
Intercostal indrawing?
Hyperinhalation?
Paradoxical rib
movement?