Disease Comparison Tables

❤ Cardiovascular Comparison Table

Disorder	Pathophysiology	Hallmark Findings	Perfusion Effect
Pericarditis	Inflamed pericardium	Sharp chest pain, friction rub, pain relieved by leaning forward	Compression may decrease cardiac output
Myocarditis	Inflamed myocardium weakens contraction	Fatigue, dyspnea, HF symptoms	↓ Contractility → ↓ CO
Endocarditis	Infection of valves/endocardium	Fever, murmur, vegetation	Valve dysfunction → poor forward flow
Heart Failure (Left)	LV cannot pump effectively	Crackles, dyspnea, orthopnea	Pulmonary congestion
Heart Failure (Right)	RV cannot pump effectively	JVD, edema, ascites	Systemic venous congestion
Valve Stenosis	Valve narrowed	Increased workload	Obstructed forward flow
Valve Regurgitation	Valve leaks	Murmur, volume overload	Blood flows backward
Atherosclerosis	Plaque narrows arteries	Ischemia	↓ Tissue perfusion

❤ Respiratory Comparison Table

Disorder	Pathophysiology	Hallmark Manifestation	Gas Exchange Problem
Asthma	Bronchospasm + inflammation + mucus	Wheezing	Airflow obstruction
COPD	Chronic airflow limitation	Barrel chest	Air trapping
Pneumonia	Alveoli fill with fluid	Crackles, productive cough	Diffusion impaired
Tuberculosis	Granuloma formation	Night sweats, hemoptysis	Chronic infection
Pleural Effusion	Fluid outside lung	Decreased breath sounds	Lung compression
Pneumothorax	Air outside lung	Sudden chest pain	Lung collapse
Atelectasis	Alveolar collapse	Decreased breath sounds	Reduced surface area
ARDS	Alveolar-capillary damage	Severe hypoxemia	Massive diffusion impairment
Lung Cancer	Tumor obstructs airway	Persistent cough, weight loss	Ventilation impaired

🩹 Integumentary Comparison Table

Disorder	Cause	Hallmark Finding	Key Difference
Impetigo	Bacterial	Honey-colored crust	Epidermis only
Cellulitis	Bacterial	Warm, painful swelling	Dermis/subcutaneous tissue
Folliculitis	Hair follicle infection	Small inflamed follicle	Most superficial
Furuncle	Deeper follicle infection	Painful boil	Localized abscess
Carbuncle	Multiple furuncles	Large draining lesion	Fever possible
HSV	Herpes simplex virus	Painful vesicles	Latent for life
Herpes Zoster	Reactivated varicella-zoster virus	Painful vesicular rash	Reactivation of chickenpox virus

High-Yield NCLEX "Think Like the Nurse"

Scenario 1

A patient has:

Crackles
Orthopnea
Dyspnea

Think:

➡ Left-sided heart failure

Why?

Blood backs into the lungs.

Scenario 2

Patient presents with:

JVD
Peripheral edema
Ascites

Think:

➡ Right-sided heart failure

Blood backs into systemic circulation.

Scenario 3

Patient has:

Wheezing
Chest tightness
Difficulty exhaling

Think:

➡ Asthma

Bronchospasm is occurring.

Scenario 4

Patient has:

Barrel chest
Chronic cough
Air trapping

Think:

➡ COPD

Scenario 5

Patient develops:

Fever
Productive cough
Crackles

Think:

➡ Pneumonia

Fluid-filled alveoli impair gas exchange.

Scenario 6

Patient suddenly develops:

Sharp chest pain
Absent breath sounds
Dyspnea

Think:

➡ Pneumothorax

Air entered the pleural space.

Scenario 7

Patient has:

Honey-colored crusts

Think:

➡ Impetigo

Scenario 8

Patient has:

Warm
Red
Painful swollen leg

Think:

➡ Cellulitis

Scenario 9

Patient reports:

Burning sensation
Tingling
Painful vesicles

Think:

➡ Herpes simplex virus

The burning/tingling is the prodrome before lesions appear.

Disease Progression Flowcharts

Heart Failure

Cardiac damage
      ↓
↓ Cardiac Output
      ↓
SNS activation
      ↓
RAAS activation
      ↓
Fluid retention
      ↓
Heart works harder
      ↓
Progressive heart failure

Pneumonia

Infection
      ↓
Inflammation
      ↓
Alveoli fill with fluid
      ↓
Poor diffusion
      ↓
Hypoxemia

COPD

Chronic inflammation
      ↓
Airway narrowing
      ↓
Air trapping
      ↓
Hyperinflation
      ↓
Chronic hypoxemia

HSV

Primary infection
      ↓
Latency in sensory ganglia
      ↓
Stress/Illness
      ↓
Reactivation
      ↓
Painful vesicles

Burns

Burn injury
      ↓
Capillary permeability increases
      ↓
Fluid shifts into tissues
      ↓
Edema
      ↓
Hypovolemia
      ↓
Shock risk

Highest-Yield "Don't Mix These Up"

If you see...	Think...
Honey-colored crust	Impetigo
Warm, painful erythema	Cellulitis
Wheezing	Asthma
Barrel chest	COPD
Crackles + productive cough	Pneumonia
Night sweats + hemoptysis	Tuberculosis
Sudden absent breath sounds	Pneumothorax
Fluid in pleural space	Pleural effusion
Crackles + orthopnea	Left heart failure
JVD + edema + ascites	Right heart failure
Pain relieved by leaning forward	Pericarditis
Friction rub	Pericarditis
Valve vegetation	Endocarditis
Burning before vesicles	HSV prodrome