Respiratory disease
Case 12: Lung Function Testing in a Patient with Breathlessness
CASE
A 75‐year‐old retired carpenter presents with gradual‐onset breathlessness over several months. He can now walk only 50 m before becoming breathless. He is an ex‐smoker of 20 cigarettes per day, having stopped 15 years ago. There is no history of chest pain or wheeze. He takes amlodipine for hypertension. Physical examination reveals a few axillary crackles but no wheeze and his peak flow is reduced at 150 L/min.
QUESTION 1
Your score this session: 0 of 0
What is the significance of the low peak flow rate?