Breathless in Iraq

Assessment of a breathless patient.

The aim of this article is to describe a systematic and comprehensive approach to the assessment of a breathless patient and to discuss the principles of oxygen delivery. After reading this article you should be able to: Describe how to assess the effectiveness of breathing, the work of breathing and the adequacy of ventilation. Discuss the importance of general appearance, medical and social h...

The breathless adolescent asthmatic athlete.

This article concerns physical activity and sports in asthmatic adolescents. Exercise-induced asthma (EIA) is found in 8-10% of the normal child population and in ∼35% of children with current asthma, as reported in a population-based birth cohort study. The mechanisms of EIA are related to markedly increased ventilation during exercise, which causes increased heat and water loss through respir...

Oxygen therapy in the breathless patient.

Breathless Legs? Consider Training Your Respiration.

The condition of the respiratory system is more important for endurance exercise performance of healthy subjects than hitherto assumed. Not only do respiratory muscles fatigue during intensive endurance exercise, but prefatigued respiratory muscles can also impair performance. In turn, respiratory endurance training can improve endurance exercise performance.

CASE FOR DIAGNOSIS A breathless female

A 67-yr-old female was admitted with a two week history of dry cough, cold sores and progressive breathlessness. Her exercise tolerance had gradually reduced over 3 yrs from 3 miles to half a mile. Three years previously she was diagnosed as having chronic myeloid leukaemia for which she received a total of 1.3 g busulphan, producing remission for the last 2 yrs. She was an exsmoker with a 40 p...