Presentation on theme: "Shortness of Breath"— Presentation transcript
Slide1
Shortness of Breath
Abdulrahman Al Frayh
Professor of Pediatrics
Consultant Pediatric Pulmonologist
King Saud UniversitySlide2
Definition Shortness of breath (SOB), or dyspnea, is a feeling of difficult or labored breathing that is out of proportion to the patient’s level of physical activity.Slide3
Description Unpleasant shortness of breath, a feeling of increased effort or tiredness in moving the chest muscles, a panicky feeling of being smothered, or a sense of tightness or cramping in the chest wall.Slide4
Acute SOB
PULMONARY DISORDERS
:
Pulmonary disorders that can cause dyspnea
include airway obstruction by a foreign object, swelling due to infection, or allergic diseases e.g. anaphylactic shock; acute pneumonia; hemorrhage from the lungs; or severe bronchospasms associated with asthma, or congenital anomalies of airways, lung and diaphragm.Slide5
Cardiovascular Disease
Acute dyspnea can be caused by disturbances of the heart rhythm, failure of the left ventricle, mitral valve dysfunction,
congenital heart disease
or an embolus.Slide6
Trauma
Chest injuries, both closed injuries and penetrating wounds, can
cause pneumothorax, bruises, or fractured ribs. Pain from these injuries results in SOB.Slide7
Other Causes
Anxiety attacks sometimes cause acute dyspnea; they may or may not be associated with chest pain. Anxiety attacks are often accompanied by hyperventilation. Hyperventilation raises the oxygen level in the blood, causing
chest pain.Slide8
Chronic SOB PULMONARY DISORDERS. Chronic dyspnea can be caused by asthma,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, BPD), bronchilitis, emphysema, inflammation of the lungs, pulmonary hypertension (congenital or acquired), tumors, or disorders of the vocal cords.Slide9
HEART DISEASE. C
ongenital, acquired heart diseases or inadequate
supply of blood to the heart muscle can cause dyspnea. In some cases a tumor in the heart or
p
ericarditis may cause dyspnea, congenital storage diseases in heart muscles may result in heart failure and SOB.Slide10
Neuromuscular Disorders Neuromuscular disorders cause dyspnea from progressive deterioration of the patient's chest muscles. They include
muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, and Werding Hoffman Disease.Slide11
Other Causes
Patients who are severely anemic
may develop dyspnea if they exercise vigorously. Hyperthyroidism or
hypothyroidism may cause shortness of breath, and so may gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). Slide12
Diagnosis
Patient History
Physical ExaminationSlide13
Diagnostic Tests
CBC and arterial blood gas tests to rule out infection, anemia, hyperventilation from an anxiety attack, or thyroid dysfunction. A sputum culture or nasopharyngeal aspirate can be used to test for respiratory tract infection including pneumonia.Slide14
Diagnostic Tests
BASIC DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
:
Chest X-ray and electrocardiogram (ECG)
to assist the clinician in evaluating abnormalities of larynx chest wall, also to determine the position of the diaphragm, possible rib fractures or pneumothorax, irregular heartbeat, or the adequacy of the supply of blood to the heart muscle, SPIROMETRY to screen for airway disorders.Slide15
Diagnostic Tests (cont’d)
SPECIALIZED TESTS
:
Specialized tests may be ordered for patients with
normal results from basic diagnostic tests for dyspnea. High-resolution CT scans
and/or
MRI
can be used for suspected airway obstruction or mild emphysema. Tissue biopsy performed with a bronchoscope can be used for patients with suspected lung disease.Slide16
Thank You…
