RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

Respiratory Examination
1.

General Observation

2.

Hands

3.

Neck

4.

Face

5.

Chest

6.

Abdomen

7.

Legs

Respiratory rate
Body mass (obesity,weight loss)
Fever
Confusion
Distress, demeanour
Clubbing
Peripheral cyanosis
Tobacco staining
CO2 retention flap tremor
Cervical/scalene lymphadenopathy
JVP
Accessory muscle use
Central cyanosis
Ptosis/Horners syndrome(anhidrosis,miosis,partial ptosis), due to
interruption of sympathetic nerve supply to eyes
Inspect scars, skin lesions, visible pulsation, visible vein, hair distribution,
chest deformities (pectus excavatum, carinatum, barrel shape), scoliosis,
kyphoscoliosis, pigeon chest
Palpation : Mediastinal shift tracheal deviation, cardiac apex beat, chest
expansion, subcutaneous emphysema, masses, tenderness, tactile vocal
fremitus
Percussion
Auscultation : Bilateral air entry, wheeze, added or abnormal sound,
crackles or crepitations, type of breathing sound (vesicular, brochial,
bronchovesicular)
Hepatomegaly
Sacral edema
Bilateral edema cor pulmonale
Unilateral edema - DVT

SYMPTOMS OF RESPIRATORY DISEASE

1. COUGH
Def : A characteristic of sound
caused by a forceful expiration
against an initially closed glottis

Acute cough : <3 weeks

Chronic cough : >8 weeks