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A
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5
B
C D
Fig. 5.5 Abnormalities in the shape of the chest. A Hyperinflated chest with raised sternum and shoulder girdle. B Kyphoscoliosis. C Pectus carinatum with
Harrison’s sulcus (arrow).
secondary to scoliosis, shrinkage of scarred lung following
tuberculosis, or prior surgical resection of the lung and/or ribs.
D Pectus excavatum.
Examination sequence (Videos 2 and 2B)
• Note the presence of nebulisers or inhalers (indicating
obstructive lung disease), oxygen therapy and cyanosis;
check sputum pots, noting the colour and viscosity of the
sputum and whether any blood is present. Foul-smelling
sputum may indicate anaerobic infection.
• Look for asymmetry of the chest, deformities, surgical scars
and chest drains, remembering that thoracotomy scars may
be visible only from the side or behind.
• Quietly observe and time respiratory rate (for example,
breaths in 15 s  4) without drawing the patient’s attention to
it, as this may cause it to change. Feeling the radial pulse,
while timing breathing, is a common solution to this problem.
• Inspect the remaining skin for relevant abnormalities
(Fig. 5.6).
At rest, the respiratory rate is normally 12 to 15 breaths/min;
anxious patients may breathe at 15 to 20 breaths/min but a rate
of over 20 breaths/min is abnormal for an adult.
In healthy adults at altitude, elderly people and patients with
heart failure, or during the final stages of dying, a distinctive
pattern of alternating periods of deep and shallow breathing may
be seen. This is known as Cheyne–Stokes respiration and is
thought to represent abnormal feedback from the carotid chemoreceptors to the respiratory centre.
A
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Fig. 5.7 Tobacco ‘tar’-stained finger.
• small-muscle wasting (Fig. 13.23), which may indicate T1 root
damage by an apical lung tumour
• rarely, yellow-brown discoloration of nails in yellow nail syndrome (Fig. 14.13C) or vasculitis in nail bed or finger pulp
(Fig. 14.13B).
B
Fig. 5.6 Skin lesions associated with respiratory conditions. A Metastatic
nodules of lung cancer.
Subcutaneous metastases from lung tumours (see Fig. 5.6A)
may be seen and offer the chance for rapid biopsy and diagnosis. In the legs, the painful dusky red lesions of erythema
nodosum (see Fig. 5.6B) may indicate underlying sarcoidosis, or
asymmetrical swelling may signal venous thrombosis.
B Erythema nodosum on the shins in sarcoidosis.
Hands and arms
Finger clubbing is due to overgrowth of soft tissue in the terminal
phalanx, which increases the lateral and longitudinal curvature of
the nail (Fig. 3.8), raising the nail bed of the underlying bone. It is
palpable as a boggy fluctuation of the nail when pressure is
applied just proximal to the nail (Fig. 3.9C). Finding this in an adult
patient should prompt consideration of lung cancer or pulmonary
fibrosis. In younger patients, chronic suppurative lung disease
such as cystic fibrosis should be considered (Box 3.4). In some
cases of lung cancer, finger clubbing is accompanied by hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy, with painful, tender
swelling of the wrists and ankles. X-rays of the distal forearm and
lower legs show subperiosteal new bone formation overlying the
cortex of the long bones.
Other important signs of respiratory disease in the hands include:
• cyanosis
• tar staining of fingers from tobacco use (Fig. 5.7)
Examination sequence (Video 2C)
• Examine the hands for finger clubbing (Fig. 3.8), tar staining,
nail discoloration and cyanosis.
• Ask the patient to hold their arms out straight with the wrists
extended ( Fig. 5.8).
• Measure the respiratory rate while feeling the pulse.
• Check for any tenderness in the distal forearm.
Fine tremor of the outstretched hands is common in
respiratory p atients and usually due to the direct effect of
high-dose beta-agonist bronchodilators on skeletal muscle.
Respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention is one of the
causes of a coarse flapping tremor of the outstretched hands
(asterixis).
Fig. 5.8 Hand position for testing for the coarse tremor of CO2retention.
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Face
Superior vena cava obstruction causes dusky, generalised
swelling of the head, neck and face (Fig. 5.9) with subconjunctival oedema (looking like a tear inside the lower lid, but not
mobile); this usually indicates tumour invasion of the upper
mediastinum.
Tumours at the root of the neck may disrupt the sympathetic
nerves to the eye, which run from the upper thoracic spinal
segments via ganglia in the neck to join t he carotid artery
sheath. This causes unilateral ptosis, hypohydrosis, pupillary
constriction and apparent enophthalmos (Horner’ s syndrome,
Fig. 5.10).
Examination sequence
• Check the conjunctiva of one eye for pallor of anaemia, and
the colour of the tongue for the blue-grey discolouration of
central cyanosis (Fig. 5.11).
• Check for ptosis and pupil asymmetry.
• Check the jaw and mouth for abnormalities, which may obstruct
the airway (e.g., macroglossia, small mandible, large tonsils).
Central cyanosis only becomes visible when enough deoxyhaemoglobin is circulating. This makes cyanosis harder to detect
in anaemia compared to polycythaemia at the same level of
tissue hypoxia. Methaemoglobinaemia may also cause cyanosis,
which persists despite oxygen treatment.
5
Fig. 5.9 Superior vena cava obstruction. Dusky, swollen face and neck, and
distended superficial collateral veins on the chest wall. (From Midthun DE, Jett
JR. Clinical presentation of lung cancer. In: Pass HI, Mitchel JB, Johnson DH,
et al., eds. Lung Cancer: Principles and Practice. Philadelphia, PA:
Lippincott–Raven; 1996;421.)
Fig. 5.10 Horner’s syndrome showing ptosis and meiosis on the right. (From Rempell JS, Harris NS, Brown DFM, et al. J Emerg Med. 2009;36[4]:395–399.)
Fig. 5.11 Central cyanosis of the tongue.
Neck
Jugular venous pressure (JVP) is raised in many patients with
pulmonary hypertension and may be acutely raised in those with
tension pneumothorax or large pulmonary embolism. In superior
vena cava obstruction, the JVP may be raised above the angle of
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Fig. 5.12 Examining for tracheal deviation.
the jaw, making pulsatility invisible. In those who are using the
sternocleidomastoids as accessory muscles (see above), it is
frequently impossible to see the JVP, as the internal jugular vein
lies deep in the active muscle.
Examination sequence (Video 2D)
• Support the patient’s head with a pillow to facilitate relaxation
of the sternocleidomastoid muscles.
• Using a tangential light source, examine the jugular venous
pressure (p. 52).
• Check for tracheal deviation by gently advancing a single
finger resting in the sternal notch in the midline (Fig. 5.12). The
trachea should be equidistant from the two sternomastoid
heads.
• Check the cricosternal distance (the vertical distance be-
tween the sternal notch and the cricoid cartilage, the first
prominent ridge felt above the tracheal rings). In health, three
average fingers fit between the sternal notch and the cricoid.
• Examine the cervical lymph nodes from behind with the pa-
tient sitting forward, as described on page 36.
Tracheal deviation away from the affected side is seen acutely
in tension pneumothorax. Chronic tracheal deviation towards the
affected side occurs with loss of lung volume in upper lobe
fibrotic scarring or collapse and following lobectomy or
pneumonectomy.
Reduction in cricosternal distance is a sign of hyperinflation
and reflects upward displacement of the sternum (see Fig. 5.4B).
Upward movement of the sternum and downward movement of
the trachea on inspiration are normal but may become more
obvious with forceful inspiratory efforts in respiratory disease.
Rarely, systolic downward movement of the trachea is felt in
patients with aortic aneurysm (sometimes called ‘tracheal tug’).
Palpable cervical lymph nodes may be a sign of metastatic
disease from lung cancer. They are also a common presentation
of lymph node tuberculosis and lymphoma.
Thorax
First, inspect the chest closely again, in case abnormalities were
missed from the end of the bed. Look carefully for any scars,
particularly under the pectoral fold for a thoracotomy scar and on
the lateral and posterior chest wall for scars from pleural biopsies
and drains. In patients with a thin chest wall and increased
respiratory drive (as in exacerbation of COPD), forced, rapid
inspiration often causes visible indrawing of the skin in the
intercostal spaces during inspiration, seen more easily with
tangential light (see Fig. 5.5A).
Palpation
Examination sequence
• Locate the apex beat, the most inferior and lateral place
where the finger is lifted by the twisting systolic movement of
the cardiac apex. This is normally in the fifth intercostal space
in the mid-clavicular line. Count down the intercostal spaces;
the second is below the second rib, which attaches at the
manubriosternal junction.
• Palpate for a right ventricular heave using a straight arm, with
the palm over the lower sternum (see Fig. 4.18C).
The apex beat is displaced laterally by dilatation of the ventricles or leftward displacement of the mediastinum. In patients
with significant hyperinflation, the apex beat may be impalpable
because the lingula expands between the heart and the chest
wall (see Fig. 5.4B). In this situation, the heart sounds are often
barely audible and may be heard better by auscultating in the
epigastrium.
In pulmonary hypertension, the lower sternum is lifted by the
cardiac cycle (right ventricular heave) and a finger gently placed
over the pulmonary area may detect closure of the pulmonary
valve: a so-called palpable P2.
Next, assess thoracic expansion in both the upper and lower
anterior chest wall.
Examination sequence (Video 2E)
• First, place the palms of your hands over the pectoral region
overlying both upper lobes and oppose the elevated thumbs
over the midline. Ask the patient to take a deep breath using
the thumbs as pointers to judge how much each hand moves
outwards. Then, cup your hands, with fingers spread, around
the patient’s lower anterior chest wall overlying the lingula and
right middle lobe, pressing the fingertips firmly in the mid-axillary
line. Pull your hands medially towards each other to tighten any
loose skin, and once again use your thumbs (off the skin) as
pointers to judge how much each hand moves outwards when
the patient is instructed to take a full breath in (Fig. 5.13). In a
healthy thorax, the ribs move out and up with inspiration.
• Check for any asymmetry. This is more important than the ab-
solute degree of expansion, which will vary between individuals.
In COPD with hyperinflation, the normal outward movement of
the lower ribs on inspiration is replaced by paradoxical inward
movement (‘Hoover’s sign’), caused by contraction of the
abnormally low, flat diaphragm (see Fig. 5.4). This important sign
may be missed if expansion is assessed only in the upper chest
or from behind.
A
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Palpation of the chest wall may rarely reveal surgical emphysema, indicating air trapped in the subcutaneous tissues (Fig. 5.14).
This most commonly complicates pneumothorax with chest
B
Fig. 5.13 Assessing chest expansion from the front. A Expiration. B
Inspiration.
drainage or rib fracture and feels like a palpable crackling under the
skin of the upper thorax, supraclavicular fossae and neck.
Finally, examine carefully for any tumour deposits (see Fig. 5.6A).
Mesothelioma may grow down the track left from a pleural biopsy
or chest drain and present as a firm lump at the scar site.
Percussion
5
Correctly performed, percussion should generate a hollow, ringing
sound accompanied by a palpable resonance over air-filled lungs,
but a dull thud lacking resonance over consolidation or fluid.
Percussion is most valuable when detecting asymmetry of resonance between mirror image positions on the right and left sides.
The absolute quality and volume of the percussed sound vary
widely between individuals with differing chest wall thickness,
muscularity and subcutaneous fat, and is of little value.
Examination sequence (Videos 2F and 2G)
• To percuss the chest, apply the middle finger of your non-
dominant hand firmly to an intercostal space, parallel to the
ribs, and drum the middle phalanx with the flexed tip of your
dominant index or middle finger (Fig. 5.15A). The movement
should come from the wrist and not the elbow.
• Starting in the supraclavicular fossae, compare percussion at
mirror image sites on right and left before moving to the next
level (see Fig. 5.15B).
• Posteriorly, the scapular and spinal muscles obstruct per-
cussion, so position the patient sitting forwards with their
arms folded in front to move the scapulae laterally. Percuss a
few centimetres lateral to the spinal muscles, taking care to
compare positions the same distance from the midline on
right and left (see Fig. 5.15C).
• Remember to percuss the lateral chest wall in the mid-axillary
line, comparing both sides.
Fig. 5.14 Subcutaneous air (surgical emphysema) seen in the neck and
chest wall on chest X-ray (arrows).
Fig. 5.15 Percussion of the chest. A Technique. B Anterior and lateral sites. C Posterior sites.
In healthy people, anterior chest percussion is symmetrical
except for the area immediately lateral to the lower left sternal
edge, where the right ventricle causes dullness; this ‘cardiac
BC
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dullness’ is lost in hyperinflated patients in whom the lingula
overlies the heart (see Fig. 5.4). Clear resonance (‘hyperresonance’) is the usual finding over a pneumothorax, although
the difference between a normal lung and the pneumothorax
may be quite subtle because normal lung is almost all air.
Resonance on percussion together with unilateral absent breath
sounds indicates pneumothorax.
Auscultation
To understand chest auscultation, it is necessary to understand
the origin of breath sounds. The tracheobronchial tree branches
23 times between the trachea and the alveoli. This results in an
exponential rise in the number of airways and their combined
cross-sectional area moving towards the alveoli. During a maximal
breath in and out, the same vital capacity (about 5 L of air in
healthy adults) passes through each generation of airway. In the
larynx and trachea, this volume must all pass through a crosssectional area of only a few square centimetres and therefore
flow rate is fast, causing turbulence with vibration of the airway
wall, generating sound. In the distal airway, the large combined
cross-sectional area of the multitude of bronchioles means that
5 L can easily pass at slow flow rates, so flow is normally virtually
silent. The harsh ‘bronchial’ sound generated by the major airways
can be appreciated by listening with the diaphragm of the
stethoscope applied to the larynx (try this on yourself).
Most of the sound heard when auscultating the chest wall originates in the large central airways but is muffled and deadened by
passage through overlying air-filled alveolar tissue; this, together
with a small contribution from medium-sized airways, results in
‘normal’ breath sounds at the chest wall, sometimes termed ‘vesicular’. When healthy, air-filled lungs become consolidated by
pneumonia or thickened and stiffened by fibrotic scarring (e.g.,
post-tuberculous scarring), sound conduction is improved, and the
centrally generated ‘bronchial’ breath sounds may be auscultated
clearly and loudly on the overlying chest wall. In the same way, with
soft speech (‘sayone,one,one’), the laryngeal sounds are muffled
by healthy lung but heard clearly and loudly at the chest wall
overlying consolidation and fibrotic scarring, due to improved
conduction of major airway sounds through diseased lung.
When there is lobar collapse caused by a proximal bronchial
obstruction, the signs are different from those in simple consolidation. The usual findings are diminished expansion, sometimes
with chest asymmetry due to loss of volume, dullness to percussion over the collapsed lobe, and reduced breath sounds and
vocal resonance.
When the lung tissue is physically separated from the chest
wall by intervening air (pneumothorax) or fluid (pleural effusion),
sound conduction is greatly impaired and the breath sounds are
usually very quiet or absent. These two causes are readily
distinguished by percussion, which will be resonant with pneumothorax and dull over pleural fluid.
Use of the stethoscope
Remember to wear the stethoscope with the earpieces facing
forwards to align them with your auditory canal. Normal breath
sounds are relatively quiet, so the greater area of contact offered
by the diaphragm is usually well-adapted to chest auscultation.
The two common exceptions are in patients with:
• A cachectic chest wall with sunken intercostal spaces, where
it may be impossible to achieve flat skin contact with the
diaphragm.
• A hairy chest wall, where movement of chest hairs against the
diaphragm is easily mistaken for lung crackles. In thesesituations,
use the stethoscope bell instead to listen to the breath sounds.
Breath sounds
As with percussion, the absolute volume and character of breath
sounds in individuals are greatly affected by the thickness,
muscularity and fat content of the chest wall. The symmetry of
sounds is therefore the key feature.
Examination sequence (Videos 2H and 2I)
• Auscultate the apices, comparing right with left, and changing
to the bell if you cannot achieve flat skin contact with the
diaphragm.
• Ask the patient to take repeated slow, deep breaths in and
out through their open mouth. Auscultate the anterior chest
wall from top to bottom, always comparing mirror image
positions on right and left before moving down.
• Use the same sequence of sites as for percussion (see
Fig. 5.15B and C).
• Note whether the breath sounds are soft and muffled, absent,
or loud and harsh (bronchial, like those heard over the larynx).
Seek and note any asymmetry and added sounds (see later),
deciding which side is abnormal.
• Auscultate the lateral chest wall in the mid-axillary line, again
comparing right with left before changing level.
Added sounds
The three common added sounds are wheezes, crackles and rubs.
Wheeze is a musical whistling sound accompanying airflow
and usually originates in narrowed small airways. It is most
commonly expiratory, due to dynamic airway narrowing on
expiration, but can also occur on inspiration. Usually, multiple
wheezing sounds are heard together (polyphonic wheeze);
this sign is common in asthma, bronchitis and exacerbation of
COPD. A single (monophonic) wheeze that is present consistently with each breath and does not clear with coughing is
consistent with a fixed bronchial obstruction and may indicate an
underlying cancer partially obstructing a bronchus.
Crackles are brief non-musical sounds that are most often
heard on inspiration but may occur in any phase of breathing.
They are thought to represent the sudden opening of small
airways but sometimes indicate secretions in the airways or
underlying interstitial fibrosis. In healthy people, gravitational
compression of the dependent lung bases may cause a few
crackles on the first few deep breaths; these should clear with a
deliberate cough and are of no pathological significance. Crackles
that persist after several breaths and a cough are pathological.
They are graded as ‘fine’, meaning soft, multiple crackles, to
‘coarse,’ indicating loud, scanty crackles that tend to change with
each breath. Showers of fine crackles during inspiration, resembling the sound made by peeling a Velcro fastener, are
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characteristic of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, and are commonly
heard at the lung bases posteriorly and laterally. Fine crackles also
occur in pulmonary oedema and some viral pneumonias. Coarse
crackles are generally heard in patients with significant purulent
airway secretions such as those with bronchopneumonia or
bronchiectasis. Inspiratory crackles may also be heard over
incompletely inflated lung immediately above a pleural effusion.
A pleural rub is a rasping, grating sound occurring with each
breath and sounding superficial, just under the stethoscope, like
two sheets of sandpaper rubbing together. It indicates pleural
inflammation, usually due to infection or infarction of the lung,
and is often accompanied by pleuritic chest pain. In pneumonia,
a pleural rub and the associated pain may disappear if a parapneumonic effusion or empyema develops.
Very rarely, a clicking or crunching sound may be heard
synchronous with the heartbeat; this can indicate a
pneumomediastinum.
Vocal resonance
Breath sounds normally reveal the presence of consolidation or
fibrotic scarring (bronchial breath sounds) or pleural air or fluid
(diminished or absent breath sounds). These signs can be
confirmed by asking the patient to generate laryngeal sounds
deliberately (‘Please say “one, one, one” each time I move my
stethoscope’) and listening on the chest wall in the same
sequence of sites used for breath sounds. Through the stethoscope, the spoken sound is muffled and deadened over healthy
lung but is heard loudly and clearly over consolidated or fibrotic
scarred lung. As with breath sounds, vocal resonance is absent
or greatly diminished over pneumothorax and pleural effusion.
‘Whispering pectoriloquy’ may be used to confirm the same
changes in sound conduction. Whispered speech is muffled to
silence by normal lung but may be heard over consolidated or
scarred lung.
Interpretation of the findings
Review your findings and collate the positive features. Upon
completing the history and examination, you should have a
broad idea of the respiratory illness category with which you are
dealing. Consistent groups of signs may even be diagnostic; for
example, unilateral absent breath sounds, resonant percussion,
and tracheal deviation to the opposite side in a collapsed patient
indicate a likely tension pneumothorax.
As with any system, consider as you go the likely disease
categories and how these affect presentation. This approach is
summarised in Box 5.7.
Investigations
Selecting the relevant investigation depends on the clinical
problem revealed on history and examination. Investigations are
costly and many carry risks, so choose tests capable of distinguishing the likely diagnoses and prioritise the most decisive
ones. In respiratory disease, imaging of the lungs is fundamental,
but respiratory function testing is equally important to distinguish
obstructive disease of the airways from the restrictive pattern
seen in many parenchymal diseases, and to quantify the degree
of abnormality. A summary of the appropriate initial investigations
according to the type of respiratory presentation is shown in
Box 5.8.
5
5.7 Categories of respiratory disease and associated features upon history and examination
Category of
problem Suggestive features on history Suggestive features on examination
Infection
• Acute
bronchitis
• Exacerbation of
COPD
• Pneumonia
Malignancy Insidious onset, weight loss, cough, haemoptysis persisting
Pulmonary fibrosis Progressive dyspnoea, cough Tachypnoea, finger clubbing, central cyanosis, inspiratory fine
Pleural effusion Progressive dyspnoea Unilateral basal dullness and reduced breath sounds
Pulmonary
embolism:
• Large
• Medium
• Multiple small
Asthma Atopy, hay fever, pet ownership, variable wheeze,
COPD, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; JVP, jugular venous pressure.
Cough, sputum, wheeze, Acute-on-chronic
dyspnoea
Cough, mucopurulent sputum, ankle swelling (‘cor
pulmonale’), headache (hypercapnia)
Fever, rigors, pleuritic pain, rusty sputum, loss of appetite
pain
Sudden severe dyspnoea
Episodes of pleuritic pain, haemoptysis
Progressive dyspnoea
disturbance of sleep
Polyphonic wheeze
Hyperinflation, quiet breath sounds, polyphonic wheeze, flapping
tremor (CO
If lobar, dull percussion, bronchial breathing and increased vocal
resonance
Cervical lymphadenopathy, finger clubbing, signs of lobar/lung
collapse Æ effusion
crackles at bases
Normal breath sounds
Pleural rub, crackles if infarct
Raised JVP, Residual Volume heave, loud P2
Polyphonic expiratory wheeze, eczema
retention), ankle oedema (‘cor pulmonale’)
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5.8 Selecting investigations for different respiratory presentations
Appropriate initial
Problem from history and examination
Infection (e.g., acute bronchitis, exacerbation of
COPD and pneumonia)
investigations Diagnostic value
Chest X-ray Consolidation in pneumonia
saturation, ABG Assessment of respiratory failure
O
2
Sputum/blood culture Identify causal infection
WCC, CRP Degree of inflammation
Malignancy Chest X-ray Identification of lesion
CT thorax þ abdomen Tumour stage
Bronchoscopy if central
Endobronchial ultrasound
Diagnostic pathology
Allows lymph node sampling
(EBUS)
CT-guided biopsy if peripheral Diagnostic pathology
Respiratory function Fitness for surgery and radical radiotherapy
Pulmonary fibrosis/interstitial lung disease Chest X-ray Bi-basal reticular shadows
High-resolution CT thorax Extent and pattern of disease
Respiratory function Quantification; identification of restrictive pattern; impaired gas
transfer
Exercise test (6 min walk or incremental) – functional capacity
Autoantibodies Identification of any associated connective tissue disease
Pleural effusion Chest X-ray Dense basal fluid pool
Ultrasound-guided aspiration Culture for infection
pH low in empyema
Glucose low in infection
Cytology to identify malignancy
Protein and LDH in pleural fluid and serum to distinguish exudate
from transudate (Light’s criteria)
CT thorax þ abdomen Identification of underlying tumour
Pulmonary embolism d-Dimer High negative predictive value
CT pulmonary angiogram Detection of emboli
Right heart strain
Echocardiogram Detection of right ventricular strain
saturation or ABG Assessment of respiratory failure
O
2
Asthma Respiratory function:
Peak flow diary
FEV
/reversibility
1
FeNO
saturation or ABG Assessment of respiratory failure
O
2
Variable obstruction
Reversible obstruction
Often raised in asthma
IgE, allergen skin tests Detection of allergic stimuli
FBC – eosinophils Common in allergic patients
Emphysema Chest X-ray Hyperinflation/reduced lung markings
CT thorax Emphysema
Respiratory function Reduced FEV
/VC ratio, no reversibility
1
Raised Total Lung Capacity, RV
Reduced Kco
o
FBC 2
Serum a
ABG, Arterial blood gas; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CRP, C-reactive protein; CT, computed tomography; FEV1, forced
expiratory volume in 1 second; IgE, immunoglobulin E; WCC, white cell count.
antitrypsin Reduced with abnormal phenotype (rare, in premature disease)
1
polycythaemia
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OSCE example 1: Respiratory history
Mrs. Walker, 55 years old, presents to the respiratory clinic with coughing and wheezing.
Please take a history
• Introduce yourself and clean your hands.
• Ask an open question about why this person has come to the clinic.
• Explore each presenting symptom:
• Cough:
–
Onset, duration?
– Productive? If so, characterise sputum volume and colour, and any blood.
– Triggers? Did it start with an upper respiratory tract infection? Is it provoked by exercise or environment?
– Time pattern – nocturnal? (Suggests asthma or reflux)
– On angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors?
• Wheeze:
–
What exactly does the patient mean by ‘wheeze’?
– When does it occur – at night? During or after exercise?
– Provoking factors – infection, environment, contact with animals, dust, beta-blockers?
– Any relieving factors – inhalers?
– Associated respiratory symptoms – breathlessness, chest pain, fevers/rigors, weight loss.
• Ask about past respiratory diagnoses, particularly childhood wheeze or asthma, rhinitis/hay fever and prior respiratory treatments/admissions.
• Explore past non-respiratory illness: for example, eczema (suggests atopy), hypertension or angina (on beta-blockers?), other prior illnesses.
• Take a drug history – prescribed medications, including inhalers/nebulisers and recreational drugs.
• Ask about any known allergies.
• Take a social history: smoking, occupation, contact with animals.
• Establish whether there is a family history of respiratory disease (including asthma).
• Ask about any other patient concerns.
• Thank the patient and clean your hands.
Summarise your findings
Mrs. Walker is a 55-year-old cook who gives a 6-month history of wheezing disturbing her sleep, associated with an unproductive cough. Her symptoms vary
from day to day and sometimes make climbing stairs difficult. She smokes 10 cigarettes a day and has a 20-pack-year smoking history.
Suggest a differential diagnosis
The most likely diagnosis is asthma (variable, nocturnal symptoms) and the differential is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Suggest initial investigations
Spirometry and reversibility, peak-flow diary, chest X-ray, blood count for eosinophils, serum immunoglobulin E, and skin tests to common allergens.
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OSCE example 2: Respiratory examination
Mr. Tate, 87 years old, reports increasing breathlessness over several weeks.
Please examine his respiratory system:
• Introduce yourself and clean your hands.
• Note clues around the patient, such as oxygen, nebulisers, inhalers or sputum pots.
• Observe from the end of the bed:
• Scars, chest shape, asymmetry, pattern of breathing, accessory muscle use.
• Chest wall movement, paradoxical rib movement, intercostal indrawing.
• Examine the hands: clubbing, tar staining, muscle wasting.
• Check for tremor and flap.
• Measure respiratory rate unobtrusively.
• Examine the face: anaemia, cyanosis, Horner’s syndrome and superior vena cava obstruction.
• Examine the neck: jugular venous pressure, tracheal deviation, cricosternal distance.
• Examine the anterior chest wall:
• Palpate: apex beat, right ventricular heave, expansion of the upper and lower chest.
• Percuss: compare right with left, from top with bottom, then axillae.
• Auscultate: deep breaths; compare right with left, from top with bottom, then axillae. Repeat, checking vocal resonance.
• Examine the posterior chest wall (commonly in OSCEs, you may be directed to examine either anterior or posterior):
• Ask the patient to sit forwards.
• Inspect the back for scars, asymmetry and so on.
• Palpate:
–
Cervical lymph nodes.
– Chest expansion of the upper and lower chest.
• Percuss: ask the patient to fold his arms at the front to part the scapulae; compare right with left, from top to bottom.
• Auscultate: deep breaths; compare right with left, from top to bottom, then axillae. Repeat, checking vocal resonance.
• Check for pitting oedema over the sacrum and lumbar spine.
• Thank the patient and clean your hands.
Summarise your findings
The patient has finger clubbing, a raised respiratory rate, and diminished expansion with dullness to percussion and loss of breath sounds at the right base. A
small scar suggests prior pleural aspiration.
Suggest a differential diagnosis
Signs suggest a large right pleural effusion.
(Away from patient’s bedside) A large unilateral effusion with finger clubbing suggests an underlying neoplasm. Alternatives include chronic empyema and
tuberculous effusion.
Suggest initial investigations
Chest X-ray to confirm effusion and possibly show an underlying tumour. Ultrasound to reveal pleural disease and loculation, and guide aspiration. Pleural
aspiration for cytology, culture and biochemical analysis. CT scan for staging.
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