30. The respiratory system PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH IN USE FOR MEDICINE

PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH IN USE FOR MEDICINE

30. The respiratory system

A	Cough Cough is the common symptom of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and lung disease. A cough may be productive, where the patient coughs up sputum, or non-productive, where there is no sputum. A productive cough is often described as loose and a non-productive cough as dry. Sputum (or phlegm) may be clear or white (mucoid), yellow due to the presence of pus (purulent) or blood-stained (as in haemoptysis) A doctor is examining a patient who is complaining of a cough. The doctor writes the patient’s case notes: Note: the noun phlegm is pronounced /flém)
B	Auscultation The doctor is examining Mr Hamilton’s chest. Take deep breaths in and out through your mouth. Good. Now say ‘ninety-nine’. Listening to the chest with a stethoscope may reveal the presence of sounds, apart from the normal breath sounds. There are two main kinds of added sounds. A crackles, which sound like hairs being rubbed together and suggest the presence of fluid in the lungs. B wheezes, which are more musical sounds, like whistling, and indicate narrowing of the airways. The sound of an asthma patient’s breathing is also called wheeze. The sound heard when the pleural surfaces are inflamed, as in pleurisy, is called a pleural rub. The doctor asks Mr Hamilton to say ‘ninety-nine’ to check vocal resonance, which may be increased (as in pneumonia), or decreased (as in pneumothorax). After examining Mr Hamilton, the doctor adds to his notes:

EXERCISES

30.1	Make word combinations using a word from each box.  Look at A and B above to help you.
30.2	Rewrite the questions, using words that are better known to patients. Look at A above to help you? 1 Is your cough productive? 2 What colour is the sputum? 3 Is it ever purulent? 4 Have you ever had haemoptysis? 5 Do you suffer from dyspnoea?
30.3	Are the following statements true or false? Give reasons for your answers, using your medical knowledge and A and B above to help you.

Answer key