Examination of a 60-Year-Old Smoker With Shortness of Breath course for GPs

This session uses a video clip to demonstrate how to carry out a focused, problem-based physical examination on a patient presenting in primary care with worsening breathlessness.

This session was reviewed by Khyati Bakhai and last updated in September 2018.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Decide on an appropriate physical examination of a patient presenting with increasing breathlessness
• Make a targeted examination based on the history to help establish a diagnosis and exclude obvious serious pathology
• Explain to the patient the reasons for your examination and obtain informed consent
• Conduct an appropriate physical examination and explain your findings
• Discuss further examinations or tests which may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis and exclude other pathology

Chronic breathlessness is one of the most common presenting symptoms in primary care. A number of respiratory, cardiac and other causes may be responsible. In the UK, 1.4 million GP consultations take place annually for COPD alone, a condition which is responsible for around 30,000 deaths per year.