Asthma Management Quiz

Study Notes

The majority of respiratory system diseases present with cough and/or dyspnea, falling into three main categories: obstructive, restrictive, and vascular.
Obstructive diseases, the most frequent, involve airway problems like asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, and bronchiolitis.
Restrictive diseases include parenchymal lung, chest wall, and neuromuscular issues.
Pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension, and venoocclusive disease are vascular disorders.
History is crucial-inquire about symptom onset, duration, and associated activities.
Dyspnea symptoms can be indicative of numerous etiologies; “chest tightness” suggests obstructive lung disease, while “air hunger” is more common in heart failure.
Acute shortness of breath usually points to sudden physiologic changes (e.g., airway narrowing, mucus plugging, pulmonary edema, or pulmonary embolism).
Chronic dyspnea often progresses gradually with exacerbations in conditions like COPD and IPF.
Cough duration, sputum characteristics (quantity, color, blood presence), and triggers should be investigated.
Additional symptoms like wheezing (suggesting airway disease) or hemoptysis (indicating infections or lung cancer) deserve thorough evaluation.

Physical examination (vital signs, inspection, percussion, auscultation) provides essential information.
Pulmonary function tests (e.g., spirometry, lung volumes, diffusion capacity) help assess airflow and gas exchange.
Chest imaging (e.g., x-ray, CT) aids in identifying structural abnormalities, consolidations, or fluid collections.
Blood and sputum analysis (including microbiology and serology) are crucial for detecting infections, inflammatory markers, or malignancies.
Additional tests (bronchoscopy, biopsy) are performed based on the clinical suspicion for more specific diagnoses.