Dyspnea Evaluation
This symptom is defined as a subjective experience of breathing discomfort that must be self-reported.
What is dyspnea?
The first-line inhaled medication for acute severe asthma exacerbation.
The most common cause of pleural effusion in the U.S.
What is heart failure?
The presence of air in the pleural space is called this.
What is pneumothorax?
The three elements of Virchow’s Triad.
What are blood stasis, hypercoagulability, and vessel wall injury?
Name two life-threatening causes of acute dyspnea that must be ruled out first.
What are pulmonary embolism and pneumothorax?
This ABG finding is an ominous sign in a patient with increased work of breathing.
What is a normal ABG (should shift toward respiratory alkalosis in acute asthma)?
This set of criteria differentiates exudative from transudative pleural effusions.
What are Light’s Criteria?
The most life-threatening form of pneumothorax, requiring immediate intervention.
What is tension pneumothorax?
The first-line imaging test for suspected DVT.
What is compression ultrasonography?
This validated tool is integrated into GOLD guidelines for rating dyspnea.
What is the Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale?
Name one absolute indication for endotracheal intubation in severe asthma.
What is cardio-respiratory arrest or apnea?
The classic radiographic finding of pleural effusion on chest X-ray.
What is obliteration of the costophrenic angle?
The gold standard imaging modality for diagnosing pneumothorax.
What is chest CT scan?
The most common cause of death in severe pulmonary embolism.
What is right ventricular failure and obstructive shock?
The tripod position, use of accessory muscles, and supraclavicular retractions are objective findings of this severity of dyspnea.
What is acute severe or life-threatening dyspnea?
This ventilator strategy is used to minimize barotrauma in mechanically ventilated severe asthma patients.
What is permissive hypercapnia with low tidal volume and prolonged expiratory time?
The most common cause of exudative pleural effusion.
What is infection (such as bacterial pneumonia)?
The most common risk factor for primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
What is smoking?
This clinical prediction tool is used to estimate pretest probability of PE.
What is the Wells score (or Geneva score)?
Four most common causes of dyspnea in adults.
What are heart failure, pneumonia, obstructive lung disease (COPD/asthma), and pulmonary embolism?
This medication, given IV, is a second-line bronchodilator for severe asthma exacerbation.
What is magnesium sulfate?
This pleural fluid lab value, when less than 7.2, suggests empyema.
What is pleural fluid pH?
The initial management for a stable patient with a small primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
What is observation (with or without supplemental oxygen)?
The first-line treatment for massive PE with hemodynamic instability (no contraindications).
What is systemic thrombolysis?