Lesson 1History of present illness: chronological construction, onset, duration, exertional pattern, triggers, progressionExplains building the history of current illness for shortness of breath when exerting, stressing start, length, pattern during effort, triggers, worsening, and past checks, to create a clear, time-connected sign story.
Defining onset, tempo, and first episodeCharacterizing exertional thresholds and limitsIdentifying triggers and relieving maneuversDocumenting progression and stepwise changesPrior tests, treatments, and responsesSynthesizing a chronological symptom timelineLesson 2Family history questions focused on cardiopulmonary, thromboembolic, and hereditary lung diseaseExplains how to check family history related to shortness of breath when exerting, focusing on heart muscle diseases, irregular heartbeats, blood clot diseases, and inherited lung problems, with words that boost trust and show hidden family risks.
Cardiac family history and premature sudden deathInherited arrhythmias and cardiomyopathiesFamilial thromboembolic and clotting disordersHereditary pulmonary hypertension patternsGenetic lung diseases and early respiratory failurePedigree building and red flag clusteringLesson 3Relieving and aggravating factors: posture, medications, exertion, environmental exposuresDescribes how to check factors that ease or worsen shortness of breath when exerting, including body position, medicines, effort level, and surroundings, and how these help tell apart heart, lung, and body function causes.
Postural changes and orthopnea assessmentExercise intensity and exertional thresholdsMedication timing, relief, and side effectsEnvironmental and occupational exposuresTemporal patterns and day to night variationIntegrating patterns into pathophysiologic cluesLesson 4Medication, allergy, and vaccination questions with phrasing for accuracyExplains how to ask about medicines, allergies, and vaccines in patients with shortness of breath when exerting, using exact words to better remember, find interactions, and spot avoidable lung or heart problems.
Current prescription and over the counter drugsInhalers, oxygen, and adherence assessmentDrug and food allergies with reaction detailsVaccine history for influenza and pneumococcusCOVID and other relevant immunizationsIdentifying interactions and contraindicationsLesson 5Social history questioning scripts: smoking (pack-years), occupation, environmental exposures, alcohol, recreational drugs, physical activity levelGives scripts for social history focused on shortness of breath when exerting, covering smoking with pack-year count, job, surroundings, alcohol, fun drugs, and activity level, stressing risk grouping and shame-free words.
Smoking history, pack‑years, and cessationOccupational dust, fumes, and irritant exposureHousehold and environmental inhalational risksAlcohol intake patterns and cardiopulmonary riskRecreational drugs and route of useBaseline physical activity and functional classLesson 6Structure and goals of anamnesis: identification, chief complaint, informed consent phrasingIntroduces the overall setup and aims of patient history in shortness of breath when exerting, including identifying the patient, stating main problem, and clear, right consent words that build trust and set a focused, quick talk.
Patient identification and demographic contextFormulating and recording the chief complaintExplaining purpose and scope of the interviewInformed consent and confidentiality wordingSetting agenda and time framing with patientBalancing open listening with focused inquiryLesson 7Questions for associated symptoms: orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, chest pain, cough, wheeze, hemoptysis, syncope, palpitationsFocuses on steadily asking key linked symptoms with shortness of breath when exerting, like breathing hard lying flat, sudden night shortness, chest pain, cough, wheeze, coughing blood, fainting, heart flutters, with words that sharpen diagnosis meaning.
Orthopnea and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspneaCharacterizing exertional and resting chest painCough, sputum, and wheeze characterizationHemoptysis severity and red flag featuresSyncope, presyncope, and exertional dizzinessPalpitations, rhythm description, and triggersLesson 8Past medical history probing: cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, thyroid, hematologic, metabolic, and psychiatric conditionsCovers aimed past health history for shortness of breath, highlighting heart and blood vessel, lung, kidney, thyroid, blood, body process, and mind health issues, and how each changes chance before tests, outlook, and treatment safety in effort symptoms.
Cardiovascular diseases and prior cardiac testingChronic lung disorders and prior exacerbationsRenal disease, volume status, and anemia linksThyroid dysfunction and exercise intoleranceHematologic and metabolic contributors to dyspneaPsychiatric comorbidity and symptom perceptionLesson 9Targeted review of systems: standardized phrasing for respiratory, cardiac, systemic (fevers, weight loss), and psychiatric symptoms to detect differential cluesExplains how to do an aimed check of body systems using standard, easy words for breathing, heart, whole body (fevers, weight drop), and mind symptoms, to find missed hints, extra illnesses, and warning signs that improve diagnosis options.
Respiratory ROS for chronic and acute symptomsCardiac ROS for ischemia and heart failureSystemic ROS for fever, weight loss, night sweatsPsychiatric ROS for anxiety and panic featuresStandardized phrasing to reduce ambiguityPrioritizing and documenting positive findingsLesson 10Exact question scripts for chief complaint and opening promptsShows exact starting prompts and main problem questions made for shortness of breath when exerting, balancing open and closed styles, cutting suggestion, and setting a team tone that encourages true, detailed symptom stories.
Neutral openers for first patient statementsClarifying the main breathing concernExploring patient expectations and fearsAvoiding leading or judgmental questionsTransitioning from open to focused inquiryChecking understanding with patient summaries
