Week 10 – Performing and Analyzing a Complete Chest Assessment

Question-and-answer flashcards covering major concepts from Week 10’s lecture on chest assessment, including inspection findings, palpation techniques, percussion notes, disease correlations, and related abdominal considerations.

What are the four primary respiratory assessment techniques?

Inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation.

During chest inspection, what two main aspects are evaluated?

Thoracic configuration and the pattern/effort of breathing.

Name three common chest-wall shape abnormalities that can be identified on inspection.

Barrel chest, pectus excavatum, and pectus carinatum (others include scoliosis, kyphosis, and kyphoscoliosis).

Which chest abnormality is characterized by an increased anteroposterior diameter?

Barrel chest.

What term describes a sunken or funnel-shaped sternum?

Pectus excavatum.

Which combined spinal curvature produces both lateral deviation and posterior rounding?

Kyphoscoliosis.

What is subcutaneous emphysema?

The presence of air in the subcutaneous tissues of the neck, chest, or face.

Why is assessing respiratory (thoracic) expansion important?

To determine whether the lungs are expanding symmetrically.

Define tactile fremitus.

Palpable vibrations of the chest wall that are felt as a patient speaks.

Which spoken phrase is commonly used to assess vocal fremitus?

“Ninety-nine.”

List two conditions that typically INCREASE tactile/vocal fremitus.

Pneumonia (consolidation) and atelectasis with patent bronchus (also lung tumor/mass).

Give two causes of UNILATERALLY decreased tactile fremitus.

Bronchial obstruction, pneumothorax, or pleural effusion (any one of these).

What percussion finding is expected over normal lung fields?

Resonant percussion note.

Hyperresonant percussion is most consistent with which two disorders?

Emphysema or pneumothorax.

A dull or flat percussion note over the lung suggests what two possible conditions?

Pleural effusion or consolidation (e.g., pneumonia); also atelectasis can create dullness.

Match the percussion note with its qualitative description: ‘very loud, very low pitch, longer duration.’

Hyperresonant – described as a booming quality.

Which adventitious sound is classically heard in left heart failure?

Crackles (sometimes wheezes).

In emphysema, how are breath sounds and tactile fremitus typically affected?

Both are decreased or absent.

What breath sound pattern characterizes lung consolidation?

Bronchial breath sounds with possible crackles or egophony.

What is diaphragmatic excursion and why is it measured?

The distance the diaphragm moves between full inspiration and expiration; it assesses diaphragmatic function and lung expansion.

How can an enlarged or tender abdomen influence respiration?

It can limit diaphragmatic descent and negatively affect breathing mechanics.

What is hepatomegaly and with which cardiopulmonary condition is it often associated?

Enlargement of the liver; commonly seen in patients with cor pulmonale.

Define ascites.

An abnormal collection of fluid in the peritoneal cavity.

Name the four abdominal quadrants used during abdominal assessment.

Right upper quadrant (RUQ), right lower quadrant (RLQ), left upper quadrant (LUQ), and left lower quadrant (LLQ).