Title: Assess a patient’s overall cardiopulmonary status by inspection.
Course: Respiratory Therapy I (14061-I) > Section: Evaluating Baseline Data

Assessment should be made in order to determine

- general appearance (e.g., venous distention, edema, chest wall movement, clubbing, cyanosis)
- airway function (e.g., macroglossia, neck range of motion)
- cough, sputum amount, character.

Process/Skill Questions:

- When do you begin the patient inspection?
- How do you know the patient is in distress?
- Why is it important to ask about a patient’s sputum?