Acute dyspnea
Revision as of 20:50, 31 March 2015 by Rossdonaldson1 (talk | contribs) (→Emergent Pattern Recognition)
Background
Diagnosis
Emergent Pattern Recognition
Diagnosis | Lungs | CXR | ECG | Treatment | Contraindicated |
Pulmonary Edema | Bilateral rales | Interstitial fluid | Normal/abnormal | R/O AMI, lasix, nitrates, ACEi, BIPAP | IVF; ?albuterol; ?Beta-blockers |
Bronchoconstriction | Wheezes | Clear/hyperinflated | Normal/pulm strain | Albuterol, atrovent, steroids, consider anaphylaxis (epi) | Beta-blockers; ?aspirin |
Pneumonia | Focal ronchi/decreased breath sounds | Infiltrate/effusion | Normal | IVF, antibiotics | Rate control; diuresis |
Pulmonary embolism | Clear | Clear (most) or Westrmark/Hampton hump | Normal/S1Q3T3 | Anticoagulate/thrombolytics | Rate control |
Pneumothorax/Hemothorax | Unequal | Pneumo/hemo | Normal | Needle thoracentesis/chest tube | Rate control |
Dysrythmia | Clear/pulmonary edema | Clear/pulm edema | Abnormal | Type dependent | Albuterol; ?IVF |
ACS | Clear/pulmonary edema | Clear/pulmonary edema | Normal/abnormal | Aspirin; nitrates, anticoagulation, ?beta-blockers, +/- thrombolytics | Albuterol; ?IVF |
Differential Diagnosis
Acute dyspnea
Emergent
- Pulmonary
- Airway obstruction
- Anaphylaxis
- Angioedema
- Aspiration
- Asthma
- Cor pulmonale
- Inhalation exposure
- Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema
- Pneumonia
- Pneumocystis Pneumonia (PCP)
- Pulmonary embolism
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Tension pneumothorax
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis acute exacerbation
- Cystic fibrosis exacerbation
- Cardiac
- Other Associated with Normal/↑ Respiratory Effort
- Other Associated with ↓ Respiratory Effort
Non-Emergent
- ALS
- Ascites
- Uncorrected ASD
- Congenital heart disease
- COPD exacerbation
- Fever
- Hyperventilation
- Interstitial lung disease
- Neoplasm
- Obesity
- Panic attack
- Pleural effusion
- Polymyositis
- Porphyria
- Pregnancy
- Rib fracture
- Spontaneous pneumothorax
- Thyroid Disease
- URI
Workup
- CXR
- ECG
- CBC
- Chem-7
- BNP?
- D-dimer?
- Troponin?
- ABG?
- Bedside ultrasound?
Treatment
- Oxygen
- Treat underlying cause
Source
- Rosen