Respiratory conditions
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Unit 595
July 2022
This edition of check considers the investigation and management of respiratory conditions.
Respiratory conditions – such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and infections – are encountered at 17.8% of general practice consultations, making them one of the most common types of presentations managed in Australian general practice.
COPD affects 598,800 Australians, or approximately 2.5% of the population. Approximately one in seven people aged >40 years have some form of COPD.
Based on data from the 2017–18 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey, 2.7 million Australians (or 11% of the population) have asthma.
Snoring affects approximately 15–20% and may raise suspicion for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). However, snoring is not necessarily indicative of OSA, which affects 2–3% of children.
Protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB), which is most often seen in children aged 1–3 years is more common in boys than girls, and is the most common cause of chronic wet cough in children.
At the end of this activity, participants will be able to:
Below is a list of the case studies found in this month's edition of check. To see how these case studies unfold and gain valuable insights into this months topic, log into gplearning to complete the course.
Mariusz, aged 58 years, is a new patient at your clinic and presents to you with increasing shortness of breath and productive cough over weeks to months. He has a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is a current smoker.
Barbara, aged 45 years, has had asthma since she was a child and comes to see you with shortness of breath, wheeze and chest tightness. She has been finding it hard to sleep because of cough and chest tightness. Barbara has been using a salbutamol inhaler approximately four times per day, using 2–4 puffs each time. She says it helps but her symptoms have persisted for several days. In the week prior, she had some muscle aches, tiredness and a slight fever.
Jonny, aged six years, is a new patient at your practice. His parents bring him to see you, saying he has never been a great sleeper. Jonny is now in grade 1 at school, and his teachers have mentioned that they are concerned about his focus and behaviour. His parents wonder if his poor sleep may be a reason for these daytime concerns.
Muhammad, aged 10 years, presents to you with an eight-week history of cough. Muhammad is accompanied by his mother, Ayyilah, who reports that the cough started following a viral upper respiratory tract infection with accompanying rhinitis; however, unlike his other symptoms, the cough has not ‘gone away’. Muhammad has not had any fevers or contact with unwell people. Muhammad is not taking any regular medications.
Tae-ri, aged four years, presents to you with a six-week history of cough that began during a viral upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). Her father, Yi-jin, tells you that Tae-ri does not take any regular medications and has not had any fevers or contact with unwell people.
This unit of check is approved for 10 hours of CPD activity (two hours per case). The 10 hours, when completed, including the online questions, comprise five hours’ 鲍鱼视频al Activities and five hours’ Reviewing Performance.
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Each unit of check comprises approximately five clinical cases, and the choice of cases will cover the broad spectrum of the unit’s topic. Each unit will be led by a GP with an interest and capability in the topic, and they will scope the five different cases for that unit in collaboration with the check team.