Shortness of breath

Shortness of Breath tasks:

• Scenario to consider: A 55 year old presents with shortness of breath

  • What are the differential diagnoses, what questions might you ask, what are the RED FLAG symptoms, what is important on examination?

• Review readings and videos.

• Consider reading up on some specific diagnoses (asthma, COPD, pneumonia, PE, heart failure, anxiety) for example on www.patient.co.uk or CKS e.g. https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/asthma/

• Choose how best to explore in your tutorial e.g.

  • Jamboard review of differential diagnoses, history questions and points of examination

  • role-play with GP as SOB patient

  • watch the Virtual Primary Care video(s) below and explore learning points from the consultation and further reading - you may want to select a part of the video for discussion to watch together in the tutorial

Recommended videos

1) Clinically speaking (you can search with term 'breathlessness' for other videos)

https://speakingclinically.co.uk/videos/asthma-attack/

https://speakingclinically.co.uk/videos/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/

https://speakingclinically.co.uk/videos/pulmonary-embolism-2/

2) Virtual Primary Care (suggested generic questions)

A woman with acute shortness of breath https://vpc.medicalschoolscouncil.org.uk/staff/videos/34

• What do you think about the doctors smoking intervention?

  • From a motivational interviewing perspective one might ask her 'how do you feel about your smoking?', what might be the benefits of this kind of approach?

• See also resources attached to this video

A woman with multiple symptoms, obesity, breathlessness, sweating and headaches https://vpc.medicalschoolscouncil.org.uk/staff/videos/89

• See the questions attached to this video