ABSTRACT
Common respiratory (lung) causes of breathlessness which may need consideration include: • asthma attack – usually intermittent, frequently with nocturnal attacks; • chronic bronchitis and emphysema – there is usually a chronic insidious
onset with recurrent infective episodes; • pneumonia – acute onset with the patient having fever and feeling acutely
unwell; • tuberculosis – a gradual onset over weeks often with cough, fever, malaise
and weight loss. Sometimes there is haemoptysis; • interstitial lung disease including pneumoconiosis. Chronic insidious
onset with history of industrial exposure (if occupation related); • pleural effusion – onset of gradually increasing breathlessness over days
and weeks; • pneumothorax – acute onset – associated with unilateral chest pain; • lung cancer – onset over days or weeks, often associated with malaise and
weight loss; • allergic alveolitis – acute onset after exposure. Recurrent episodes are
frequent and industrial exposure is the rule; • pulmonary embolism – acute or subacute onset. May be recurrent
episodes. Often associated with chest pain and haemoptysis; • bronchiectasis – chronic breathlessness with copious sputum.
