Online Nursing Program
Online Nursing Program
Dr. Wilson discusses the next patient with you.Dr. Wilson discusses the next patient with you.
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While working with your family medicine preceptor you are scheduled to see Mr. John Barley, a 58-year-old man who has sought medical attention only rarely in the past 10 years. He comes to the office today because of progressively worsening cough and shortness of breath during the previous month.
Before you and your preceptor Dr. Wilson enter the room to meet Mr. Barley, you think about the definition of dyspnea:
Dyspnea DeHnition Dyspnea is defined as an uncomfortable awareness of breathing.
Any problem in the mechanical system of breathing can trigger dyspnea, including (but not limited to):
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7/20/19, 11)31 PMFamily Medicine 28: 58-year-old man with shortness of breath – Sout…ollege of Nursing and Public Health Graduate Online Nursing Program
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blockage in the nose fluid in the alveoli irritation of the diaphragm
Question Dr. Wilson asks you, “What are some of the conditions that lead to dyspnea?”
The suggested answer is shown below.
Pneumonia, CHF, Flu, COPD, Asthma.
Letter Count: 34/1000
SUBMITSUBMIT
Answer Comment
Causes of Dyspnea It often helps to organize your list of differential diagnoses by system, so that you make sure that it is complete. Also, an organized list can make it easier to rule in or out the diagnostic possibilities.
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7/20/19, 11)31 PMFamily Medicine 28: 58-year-old man with shortness of breath – Sout…ollege of Nursing and Public Health Graduate Online Nursing Program
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One way to organize the causes of dyspnea in adults is by categories: cardiac, hematologic, pulmonary, or psychogenic:
Cardiac:Cardiac:
Congestive heart failure (CHF), coronary artery disease (CAD), dysrhythmia, pericarditis, acute myocardial infarction
Hematologic:Hematologic:
Anemia
Pulmonary:Pulmonary:
Obstructive lung disease: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, bronchitis
Diseases of lung parenchyma & pleura: pneumonia, pleural effusion, cancer involving the lungs, pneumothorax, pulmonary edema, restrictive lung disease, interstitial lung disease
Pulmonary vascular disease: pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension
Obstruction of the airway: gastroesophageal reflux disease with aspiration, foreign body aspiration
Environmental irritants and allergens: dust or chemical
Psychogenic:Psychogenic:
Panic attacks, hyperventilation
Other:Other:
Deconditioning Neuromuscular conditions (myasthenia, Gullain-Barre, ALS) Metabolic (carbon monoxide, anion and non-anion gap
acidosis)
