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Table 10.1

Focused Assessment of the Patient with Acute Breathlessness

  • Known cardiac or respiratory disease?
  • Associated chest pain (pleuritic or non-pleuritic)?)
  • Associated cough, with purulent sputum or haemoptysis?
  • Change in sputum volume or purulence if chronic productive cough?
  • Risk factors for venous thromboembolism (Table 56.1)?)
  • Usual exercise capacity and any recent change?
  • Temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, jugular venous pressure, respiratory rate.
  • Stridor or wheeze?
  • Signs of heart failure?
  • Focal lung crackles.
  • Peak expiratory flow rate, related to predicted normal.