Breathlessness – Post Test

Which one of the following statements regarding the pathophysiology of breathlessness is false?

Which one of the following causes of breathlessness is least likely to have an abrupt onset?

A 35-year-old man presents with sudden onset of breathlessness and chest pain, which started two days previously. In this context, which one of the following clinical signs is most likely to be associated with pulmonary embolism?

A 55-year-old man presents with dyspnoea of sudden onset associated with left sided chest pain. On examination, he is clearly in significant respiratory distress with tachypnoea, tachycardia, pallor and peripheral cyanosis.

Which of the following investigations is not immediately indicated in this patient?

In which one of the following conditions is the reading from a pulse oximeter likely to be most reliable?

A 56-year-old man presents with significant breathlessness and atypical chest pain; he is tachypnoeic, tachycardic and has reduced pulse oximetry readings. You suspect that he may have a pulmonary embolism and are considering further investigation.

Which one of the following statements is true?

Which one of the following radiological findings is not typically associated with the listed underlying pathology?

A 33-year-old woman presents with breathlessness; on examination she is tachypnoeic and tachycardic. You suspect that she may not have a primary cardiovascular or respiratory pathology.

Which one of the following is most likely to support your suspicion of a non-cardiorespiratory cause for her presentation?

A 37-year-old man presents to the ED with progressively increasing breathlessness and fever.

Which one of the following findings would not be typical of pneumonia as a cause for his symptoms?

A 67-year-old lady presents with collapse and marked respiratory distress; she is pale, tachypnoeic, tachycardic and has a reduced conscious level. She is known to have ischaemic heart disease and has presented previously with acute pulmonary oedema.

Which one of the following investigations will be most helpful in confirming this diagnosis?